Actor Natalie Desselle-Reid, known for her roles in “Madea’s Big Happy Family,” “Eve” and “B*A*P*S*,” died Monday at the age of 53.
Desselle-Reid’s manager, Dolores Robinson, confirmed the news on Twitter.
“Natalie Desselle the beautiful talented actress passed away this morning,” Robinson wrote. “Natalie was a bright light. She was an amazing actress and comedienne but also an awesome mother & wife.”
Natalie Desselle the beautiful talented actress passed away this morning.
Natalie was a bright light. She was an amazing actress and comedienne but also an awesome mother & wife.
Sending prayers to her family.
I had the pleasure of managing her career.— DoloresRobinson (@DoloresRobinson) December 7, 2020
The family of Desselle-Reid shared that the actor had been privately battling colon cancer, according to TMZ.
“It is with extremely heavy hearts that we share the loss of our beautiful Natalie this morning,” reads an official statement. “She was a bright light in this world. A queen. An extraordinary mother and wife.”
Her Hollywood career began in 1996 when she performed a one-episode role in “Family Matters,” which was soon followed up by her 1997 appearance in “B*A*P*S.” In the latter, she starred as Halle Berry’s sidekick, Mickey.
Her early career also featured roles in “For Your Love” and “Built to Last.” She soon found a starring TV role in “Eve,” playing the character of Janie Egins throughout 66 episodes that aired between 2003 and 2006.
She’s also well known for her role in Tyler Perry’s “Madea’s Big Happy Family,” where she played Tammy.
Though her last acting credit came in 2017 for a role in the series “Ya Killin’ Me,” Desselle-Reid also worked as a producer for a short called “Barrier,” which is currently in post-production. Directed by Felipe Martinez, it follows a North Korean immigrant living in the U.S. who works to save enough money to get her children out of North Korea.
Desselle-Reid is survived by her husband, Leonard Reid, and three children.