Kimberly J. Brown Vulnerably Shares How She’s Coping With Losing Her Beloved Dad

As “Halloweentown” alum and Hallmark actress Kimberly J. Brown adjusts to life without her dad, who died in September 2024, she’s learning how to cope when grief pops up unexpectedly.

Brown has appeared in the Hallmark movies “My Sister’s Keeper” and “Crossword Mysteries: Proposing Murder,” and will co-star with her bestie Lacey Chabert in the upcoming fall 2025 movie “Haul Out the Halloween.” On July 24, the actress opened up about her grief in a poignant selfie video that she posted to her Instagram Stories.

Kimberly J. Brown Says Grief Popped Up Unexpectedly at the Doctor’s Office

In a heartbreaking post on September 29, Brown revealed the “shock and grief” her family was experiencing days after her “left his earthly body a few days ago,” and writing that she “wouldn’t be where I am in life today without him.”

Ten months after his passing, in a selfie video filmed from the driver’s seat of her car, Brown told her followers, “I’m gonna talk for a second about grief and death of a loved one. If that’s not something that you want to hear today, feel free to swipe on by. My dad passed away unexpectedly last fall, and the whole grieving process has been quite a journey.”

“I had an appointment today, a routine exam,” Brown continued. “But it was interesting going back into a medical facility and sort of having those emotional triggers, those emotional kind of feelings that come in when you’re in an environment where something very traumatic happened to you.”

“My logical mind knew why I was there and that I was safe and good and there for a good reason,” Brown explained, “but I’ve been finding so much through the grieving process — and, boy, is it a process — that a lot of times, my logical mind and my emotional well being (and) my nervous system don’t exactly line up.”

Brown went on to say that allowing those emotions to show up, even if it’s hard, is “vital” for healing. To get through the wave of grief that came over her, she said she took “some deep breaths,” let her “logical mind” talk the rest of her through the moment.

“I made it through, it’s all good,” Brown smiled. “But as I got back to the car, I thought I’d share (in case) any of you are going through a similar emotional process, grieving … just to know that you’re not alone and to keep taking those steps. It’s so important.”

Lacey Chabert & Kimberly J. Brown Have Leaned On Each Other Since They Were Kids

Brown also encouraged her followers to reach out to loved ones for help in moments of overwhelm.

The actress, who’s been friends with Chabert since they were on Broadway as child actors, said in her recent video, “I am the first person, even with my bestest friend, to go, ‘Oh, she’s busy, I won’t bother her.’ But we need that. I would want to be reached out to as a friend, to provide support. So I remind myself of that a lot.”

Fans of Brown, who played Marnie Piper in Disney’s cult classic “Halloweentown” movies and 2004’s “Halloween High,” were thrilled in June when Hallmark announced that she and her husband, Daniel Kountz, would be part of the cast of the third “Haul Out the Holly” movie, which has a Halloween theme.

The couple met in 2001 while filming Disney Channel’s “Halloweentown II,” but didn’t meet up again until 2016, she told People. Chabert served as a bridesmaid at their April 2024 wedding.