Natalie Desselle Reid, the comedic actress known for roles in the Brandy-led version of Rodgers & Hammerstein’s Cinderella and UPN sitcom Eve has died. She was 53.
Desselle Reid, who also starred opposite Halle Berry in the 1997 film B*A*P*S, reportedly died after a private battle with colon cancer, which she was diagnosed with earlier this year.
Born in Alexandria, Louisiana on July 12, 1967, the actress got her start in college theater before moving on to the big screen. In B*A*P*S, Desselle Reid played Mickey, a waitress in Georgia who, along with her friend Nisi (Berry), end up taking care of a Beverly Hills millionaire and become the titular “Black American Princesses.” That same year, she appeared in Cinderella as evil stepsister Minerva and on the NBC sitcom Built To Last. She also was beloved for her roles in Tyler Perry's Madea's Big Happy Family, Def Jam's How to Be a Player, and appeared in three seasons of Eve as Eve’s friend Janie Egins from 2003 to 2006.
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On the morning of December 7, her manager, Dolores Robinson, and actress Holly Robinson Peete revealed her passing on Twitter.
"Natalie was a bright light. She was an amazing actress and comedienne but also an awesome mother & wife," wrote Robinson.
Robinson Peete, who got to know Desselle Reid when her mother was managing her, said that that she felt “absolutely decimated" by the news. "She will be so missed … sending out prayers to her children and husband,” she wrote.
Desselle Reid's Instagram account also confirmed the news: "She was a bright light in this world. A queen. An extraordinary mother and wife. Her diverse career touched so many and she will be loved forever. Naturally, we are grieving and processing this profound loss and we thank you in advance for respecting our privacy at this extremely difficult time."
Berry expressed her surprise and sadness on Twitter, writing, "I’m in total shock... completely heartbroken. gonna need a minute. #RIP @NatalieDesselle"
The late actress is the second prominent Black entertainer to die of colon cancer this year. In August, Black Panther's Chadwick Boseman died at 43, to the shock of many, after his own four-year battle.
Desselle Ried is survived by her husband, Leonard, and her three children: Sereno, Summer and Sasha.