Grieving with a “great heart” as Clegg family faces second loss

When beloved South African musician Johnny Clegg passed away from cancer in July 2019, the world mourned with the Clegg family. Nobody knew that just three years later, they would lose his son, Jesse’s, life partner, Daniella (Dani) Cooperman, to the same disease.

Added to the tragedy is the fact that Clegg and Cooperman welcomed a baby girl, Mylah Thandolwethu Clegg, in March 2021. Introducing her on social media at the time, Clegg, who followed in his dad’s footsteps as a singer and songwriter, asked his fans to “help us welcome her into this cruel, crazy, beautiful world”. The phrase was in tribute to his late father’s song. But no one imagined how cruel life would be in taking away their baby’s mother before Mylah turned two.

A tribute by Cooperman’s family announced her passing “after an arduous battle with cancer. Dani passed away at home in Johannesburg, South Africa, on 7 September, surrounded by family. Dani loved life and she lived it to the fullest. She was a seeker who embraced adventure, travel, and family. She always focused on seeing the good in people, and prioritised gathering memories over material things.

“During her brief 44 years, she experienced more than most who live to their 80s. She travelled the world, volunteered in the Vancouver Olympics, and worked on a game reserve in South Africa. Most significantly, she reframed her life’s purpose with the birth of her beautiful daughter, Mylah, together with her partner, Jesse.”

Cooperman was born in Johannesburg and grew up in Toronto. “Dani and Jesse met in Canada when he was studying law and then later, she joined him in South Africa,” says Johnny and Jesse’s manager, Roddy Quin.

They fell in love, and her story came full circle as she moved back to Johannesburg. There, they established a beautiful life together. On Twitter, Cooperman posted photos of their cats and proudly shared Jesse and Johnny’s music. She also shared the heartbreak of Johnny’s passing, and the joy of his growing granddaughter. Her second-last post was of Mylah “reading Gramps’ book” (his posthumous autobiography), and her last post was of Jesse’s Valentine’s Day live recording.

She tweeted about going to festivals, visiting Jerusalem, climbing dunes in Namibia, spending time with family in Mexico, hiking the Drakensberg, and enjoying Cape Town, saying she was “loving life”. She and Clegg also hiked in Zululand, the traditional region in the north-east of KwaZulu-Natal, which meant so much to his father.

Cooperman later became Quin’s assistant. “I had the privilege of working with Dani for many years, and she was a great friend,” says Quin. “She was the most honourable, ethical, kind, and loving person you could ever meet. She was also incredibly courageous and independent.

“Jesse and Dani had a committed relationship and loved each other dearly,” he says. “They were an amazing, fun, intelligent couple to spend time with. Mylah was Dani’s greatest wish. Dani was diagnosed with cancer eight months ago, and fought an incredibly tough fight to the very end.

“She was an amazing friend to those who were lucky enough to get to know her,” he says. One Joburg-based friend, Thomas Selmer-Olsen, wrote, “While most of the world is mourning Queen Elizabeth, my thoughts are of Dani Cooperman. I remember her and Jesse Clegg falling in love back in 2010, with late night movies shared in her folks’ basement. Our world was brighter for having Dani in it.”

“Dani loved and respected her family so much and spoke about them so often, that I felt I knew them before I even met them,” says Quin. “Naturally, this has been a devastating time for Jesse, but being the strong and determined person he is, he’ll raise Mylah with all the love and care in the world and make sure that she comes to know how wonderful her mother was.”

The couple spent 11 years together. On their last anniversary in January 2022, Clegg wrote, “What an incredible journey it’s been. Thank you for your amazing strength, wisdom, compassion, and love. I’m so grateful to be sharing this adventure with you and building our family together. Mylah and I love you like crazy! To many more epic adventures ahead!”

But those adventures weren’t to be, although, in announcing her passing, Clegg wrote that “her soul has moved on to its next great adventure, and she is now at peace”. He shared the news “with profound sadness”, describing her as “my beautiful Dani”.

“She fought with incredible courage and grace until the end. She will be dearly missed by her family and the many lives that she touched,” Clegg wrote. “She was the love of my life, and an incredible mother to Mylah. Her beautiful spirit lives on in her. Go well my love, I’ll see you on the other side.” At Cooperman’s funeral, Clegg stood stoic beside her coffin as the rabbi tore his shirt as a sign of mourning.

Though Clegg didn’t share anything online about Cooperman’s illness before her death, he wrote on 7 June this year, “Happy birthday dad. Your spirit is always with us. There are different lessons that I draw from you depending on what I’m going through in my life. Today, I think of your strength, courage, and discipline in the face of challenging moments. Thank you for teaching me how to be strong without losing empathy, and how to face dark moments without losing my faith in the universe. ‘Keep on believing tomorrow brings a better day’ – Cruel Crazy Beautiful World.”

The Clegg family also paid tribute to Cooperman, saying, “She was a beautiful spirit who brought an abundance of joy and value to our lives. She was loved and admired by all of us. She was a source of strength and comfort for us during our hardest moments, and a treasured part of our family. She leaves behind her and Jesse’s beautiful daughter, Mylah, Johnny’s first grandchild, whose legacy lives on through her and Jesse. We will love and miss her forever.”

Cooperman’s family said, “She will be missed by Mylah, Jesse, her parents Mike and Linda, brother Evan, sister-in-law also named Dani, and their children, Jax, Leo, and Shael. Dani leaves behind a legacy of love and we ask that you celebrate Dani’s life by living in the moment, and treating people with kindness. To honour Dani’s spirit and priorities, the Cooperman family has established the Dani Cooperman Memorial Fund at the Toronto Jewish Foundation that will direct proceeds to cancer research and other causes near and dear to Dani’s heart.”