The Christmas spirit was moving in Post Malone's heart this year while he and several friends were visiting a dive bar, The Railyard in Houston, Texas, on Christmas Eve.
While the group was at the bar, they were served by 36-year-old Renee Brown, a single mother who was sad about not being with her nine-year-old daughter, Iliana, on Christmas Eve. With no family to support her, Brown worked two jobs to make ends meet for her and her daughter.
Brown later reflected on the night:
"The day started off super slow, and I was just taking it as it was, trying to be in a good mood for others while dealing with not being able to spend Christmas Eve with my daughter. We usually bake cookies and watch Christmas movies, and this was the first time I wasn't able to do that."
But when singer Post Malone appeared, the single mother's whole evening changed.
"I initially didn't realize he was there until one of my coworkers from my second job came inside and told me that Austin [Post Malone] was outside on the patio."
"I thought he was kidding with me at first, but then I kept seeing people go outside, [and] I kept making drinks for like 30 minutes before curiosity got the best of me, and lo and behold, he was there."
Brown then made sure that Malone was comfortable and happy throughout the duration of his visit at the restaurant and that fans would not bother him too much.
"I told all my regulars not to be weird and bug him as it's a neighborhood dive bar, and I'm sure he picked a place like that to feel a sense of normalcy."
"It lifted the spirits of the entire bar. It was amazing to see everyone so happy and seeing how kind he was to all the people that spend their days with me on the regular."
The restaurant environment was not all that was lifted that evening.
"Everyone that he was with was also so kind and inviting, and we had a great night jamming to songs on the jukebox. Then came time for last call and to close."
"When Austin asked for his check, he didn't have one, because many regulars and his friends bought all of his beverages. So, he asked me to ring him up for a penny or something, so I did."
"I continued with my close and collected all my checks and started to enter my tips. Then I got to his. It was a tip for 20,000 dollars."
Renee Brown
Brown added:
"Going into work Christmas Eve, I was so sad I had to leave my baby girl to go to work. Oblivious that God would send me a Christmas miracle."
"This is hands down the most humble, personable celebrity I've had the pleasure of meeting."
"He changed my life on Christmas f**king Eve, and I will forever be grateful. Thank you so much, Austin."
The single mother was left in shock.
"I immediately broke down crying. It was a very emotional night already being away from home, being swamped behind the bar, trying to process that they were even there, and then the tip on top."
"I finally got a chance to stop cleaning and talk to him some more and thank him."
"I know I was crying and thanking him, but he has no idea exactly how much this meant to me."
"It's been incredibly tough being a single mom. I work two jobs and homeschool my daughter. I'm constantly exhausted. We've been without a car for two years and recently moved after losing everything and starting over from scratch in August 2024."
"This put me in a position to at least be able to get a way back and forth to work and pay up on rent and save a bit. I'm trying to save up to start a business, so I don't have to continue working two jobs and be able to spend more time with my daughter."
"Things have been extremely difficult, and this was truly a blessing that I can't fully put into words."
"Ths visit was absolutely amazing and something I could talk about and remember for the rest of my life."
"If this message reaches him, I know I told him that night how grateful I am, but I'd like to reiterate that he helped me in ways I can't begin to explain."
Renee Brown
Fellow fans of Post Malone were super touched by his generosity.
While we cannot all afford to give every server we meet $20,000, it's amazing to do good in the ways that we can, in the way that Post Malone did what was available to him.
This will undoubtedly be a core memory for Brown forever and hopefully will help her reinvent her life with her daughter.
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