On the morning of December 7, actress Natalie Desselle Reid died of colon cancer at the age of 53, surrounded by her family.
According to TMZ, Desselle Reid was diagnosed with colon cancer earlier this year. Actress Holly Robinson Peete tweeted the news, writing, “a bright shining star passed away this morning. I got to know her when my mom was managing her. She will be so missed … sending out prayers to her children and husband.” After Peete’s announcement, an official statement on Desselle Reid’s Instagram confirmed the news: “It is with extremely heavy hearts that we share the loss of our beautiful Natalie this morning. She was a bright light in this world. A queen. An extraordinary mother and wife.”
Desselle Reid was best known for her iconic role as Mickey, one of the titular Black American Princesses in the 1997 film B*A*P*S opposite Halle Barry. That same year, Desselle Reid played wicked stepsister Minerva in the beloved film version of Rodgers & Hammertsein’s Cinderella alongside Whitney Houston and Brandy. In the 2000s, Desselle Reid continued her comedic career on the series Eve and worked with Tyler Perry on Madea’s Big Happy Family in 2011. Desselle Reid is survived by her husband and their three children.