Laughter, they say, is the best medicine; perhaps that’s why Chonda Pierce is a comedy business. Often referred to as the queen of cleanliness for her own comedy, Chonda produced a string of hit performances.
However, it might be less funny to know that the queen of clean lived a life of great sadness and chronic tragedy: physical abuse at the hands of his father, the sudden disappearance of his sisters in his teens, the death of his mother, the breakdown of her relationship with her daughter and possibly her husband. Follow along as we try to reveal everything you need to know about this much-loved funny lady.
Who is Chonda Pierce?
Born Chonda Ruth Courtney on March 4, 1960, in Covington, Kentucky, United States of America, Chonda Pierce is a contemporary gospel comedian, television host, author and actress. She is the third of four children – a boy and three girls. Pierce spent most of his life in Georgetown, South Carolina, in Myrtle Beach. When she was 15, her family moved to Ashland City, Tennessee, near Nashville.
His father, a pastor, was a very violent man. Both of her sisters died before she turned 18: the oldest, Charlotta Kay, died in a car accident aged 20, while the youngest, Cheralyn Ann, died of leukemia at 15 years old. Chonda had a traumatic childhood, to say the least.
She attended Trevecca Nazarene University, Nashville for her college and later transferred to Austin Peay University. She specialized in the art of acting; hope to one day become an actress.
On August 13, 2016, Chonda Pierce released her life documentary titled “Laughing in the Dark and Enough”. She reported on the loss of her mother, the estrangement of her daughter, the death of her husband and her struggle with clinical depression. She made the film hoping it would serve as a vehicle to inspire others who might be affected by darkness and depression. The documentary received five Daytime Emmy nominations and won Best Documentary at the 2016 Park City International Film Festival.
She is also the winner of the Gospel Music Association’s Grady Nutt Humor Award and the Best Female Comic in RIAA history. Pierce has turned his gift in storytelling into a successful comedy career, selling more comedy albums than any other comedian. She has also written eight books.
Beyond his works in comedy, Pierce has used his success to help others. In 2006, she founded Branches Recovery Center, which offers counseling and treatment services to people with depression, anxiety and addiction, regardless of their ability to pay. She has also raised several million dollars for international relief organizations such as Compassion International, WorldVision, Food for the Hungry and Feed The Children.
Pierce is said to have a net worth of around $250,000.
Strangled Daughter, Husband and Other Family Member
Chonda Pierce has two children: Chera Pierce Meredith (a daughter born February 13, 1984) and David Zachary Pierce (son, born September 6, 1989). His daughter is named after his last sisters. Together with her husband, they were a family of four.
Chera began to resent her parents for reasons best known to her. However, her bitterness towards her parents, especially her mother, is said to be related to Chonda’s extreme focus on her career at the expense of the family. Eventually, Chera got married, had children, and cut off all contact with her parents and family.
Chonda and her husband, David W. Pierce first met in his sophomore year at Cheatham County High School in Ashland City, Tennessee. David was a handsome young boy who was a state wrestling champion; he also played guitar. Although he and Chonda started out as friends, their friendship blossomed into a true love affair over time. At the time, David was caring for his divorced father, a chronic alcoholic known as the town drunk of Ashland.
Shortly after college, Chonda and David married in 1984 in Ashland City, David worked as an English teacher at Middle Tennessee State University, and Chonda continued her career in religious comedy. With the loss of their daughter to family neglect and the abandonment of parental responsibilities, David found solace in alcohol and the situation became more complicated for Chonda Pierce.
In 2011, she took David for treatment in Cumberland Heights where he spent 30 days. Upon his return, the couple celebrated with a dinner. However, it wasn’t long before David’s drinking resumed. Chonda immediately took him back to rehab for further treatment. This time, a men’s rehab center in Burns, Tennessee.
Amid the crisis, Chonda Pierce lost her mother and her relationship with her estranged daughter deteriorated.
Unfortunately, David never managed to overcome his alcoholism, he attended drug treatment and counseling centers until he suffered a stroke in 2013. He was then supported by life support measures for over a year. an hour later with Chonda Pierce watching.
As of this writing, the queen of Clean is living with her son Zachary. She’s single and it’s like she did it with love. If you ask us, Chonda is fully focused on other aspects of her life, like her career and what’s left of her family.