Who Dies In Brotherly Love?

Set in the city of Philadelphia, Brotherly Love stars Keke Palmer, Cory Hardrict, Eric D. Hill and Quincy Brown, and culminates in a shocking death.

Summary

• In the tragic ending of Brotherly Love, June, the older brother, dies as a result of a territorial feud and revenge from Chris.
• Sergio, the star basketball player, becomes more focused on his sport after June's death and eventually achieves success in his career.
• Jackie, June's twin sister, chooses to leave her ill-fated relationship with Chris behind and raises her daughter alone, never revealing Chris' role in the child's existence.

The 2015 drama takes plenty of unexpected turns along the way, but who dies in the end of Brotherly Love is a tragic twist of fate for the whole Taylor family. Executive produced by Queen Latifah, the movie stars Keke Palmer as Jackie Taylor, twin sister of the school's star basketball player, Sergio (Eric D. Hill). After the Taylors' father died, Jackie and Sergio's older brother, June (Cory Hardrict), sidelined his own athletic ambitions to provide for their family, which isn't without risks. In fact, Brotherly Love opens with the killing of five boys from "the hill," which sparks the film's central conflict — a territorial feud between neighborhoods — in this movie that's set and filmed in Philadelphia.

Throughout the film, June wants to keep his siblings out of harm's way. In particular, he wants Sergio to stay focused on basketball and pursue the dream he had to give up. Of course, Sergio sees just how much his brother struggles and sacrifices, and finds it hard to keep his mind on the court. Amid the brewing turf war, June urges Jackie to quit her star-crossed romance with Chris, who's from the hill, but she refuses. After the Taylors' mother (Macy Gray) is caught in the crossfire, June reluctantly accepts a lead from Chris in order to get revenge on the people from the hill who committed the act of violence. Ultimately, that decision leads to June's tragic death at the end of Brotherly Love.

Sergio & Jackie's Brother June Dies In Brotherly Love

In the film's third quarter, things seem to be headed in a more hopeful direction. Sergio leads his basketball team to a winning season, and, at the request of their mother, June eases up on Jackie and Chris. Even so, June is consumed with exacting revenge on the hill folks who shot and injured his mom. Following Chris' intel, June kills the men responsible for the near-fatal attack, but that's not where the violence ends. After Chris and Jackie win prom king and queen, June shows up to thank Chris for his help. Before Jackie can reveal that she's pregnant, June and Chris head outside together, which is when Chris pulls a gun on June.

Following their brother's tragic death, Sergio and Jackie's lives change enormously. Although a reluctant Sergio is convinced by his friends to rob a house on prom night, June's murder pushes him to focus more on basketball. Just two years later, Sergio's hard work pays off, with his successful basketball career allowing him to care for his mother, Jackie, and his new niece. Given that Chris is arrested moments after he kills June, Jackie never tells him about her pregnancy. Jackie cries while reading an apology note from Chris, who's still none-the-wiser about their one-year-old daughter, but it's clear she's determined to leave their ill-fated relationship in the past.

Why Chris Kills June In Brotherly Love's Ending

After Chris fatally shoots June, the movie reveals that the night of the hill shooting resulted in the death of Chris' cousin, Omar. A survivor of the attack, Chris clocked June as the shooter and swore revenge. To get close to the Taylors, Chris courted Jackie, which means their relationship started off as a ruse — much like June had suspected. Before killing June, Chris tells the eldest Taylor sibling that he didn't intend to fall in love with Jackie. In a letter he writes to Jackie, Chris explains his pain over losing Omar, and laments causing Jackie that same kind of pain by taking June's life. While not one of Keke Palmer's best movies, the twist at the end of Brotherly Love is certainly memorable.