Ever since she posted the video of her boyfriend Philando Castile just moments after he’d been shot by Minnesota police, Diamond Reynolds has had a rough go of it. 

In July of this year, 27-year-old Reynolds was in the car with Castile when he was pulled over for a minor traffic stop. The moments before and during the shooting were not captured on film, but Reynold’s recalled Castile reaching for his license when an officer shot him four times. Reynolds then started recording a video to Facebook Live. 

The video became the center for national attention as it marked the death of another Black man shot by police. 

In the weeks following the shooting, Reynolds was interviewed by many media outlets and became an additional face in the Black Lives Matter movement. However, the national attention she received did little to change the harsh reality she would come to face. 

The Washington Post profiled the many hardships that Reynolds experienced after the loss of her beloved boyfriend. 

While Reynolds was away in New York appearing for interviews, her apartment that she shared with Castile had been robbed. She felt lost without the presence of Castile to protect her and her 4-year-old daughter, Dae’Ann. Following the death of Castile, Reynold’s found it nearly impossible to continue living in her current conditions. 

She no longer had another source of income to support her and daughter, who Castile watched while Reynold’s worked at the dollar store. She also no longer had the support and protection that Castile provided her with. They lived in a dangerous area of St. Paul, where Reynolds no longer feels comfortable living. 

Castile’s car was seized by investigators after his shooting, so Reynolds no longer had a way to search for new apartments. She had to enlist the help of a social worker who would help Reynolds find a place, but Reynolds would be performing the move alone. 

The trauma Reynolds experienced the day Castile was shot has only been met with the trauma of her volatile environment. As she packed her belongings to move into a new place the social worker had found, police came to her apartment complex. However, with the criminal activity she has experienced in her apartment, Reynolds was not surprised by their presence. 

“Who knows?” Diamond said when asked why the police showed up. “They’re here enough to pay rent. It’s trauma or drama every day.” 

Reynolds, along with her daughter, eventually moved into a new two-bedroom apartment. Although the place needed some serious maintenance work, Reynolds was excited to have a place for a fresh start. There have been reports of some alleged drug activity from a neighbor in Reynold’s new place. When she heard this, it made her upset. 

“This is what I was trying to get away from,” Reynolds said to a worker who informed her of the activity. “Sounds like I’ve found the right place.” 

Yet, with all that being said, she hopes that this change will only bring positivity for herself and Dae’Ann in the wake of such terribly tragedy.