Natalie Desselle Reid has died aged 53.
Natalie Desselle Reid
The actress - best known for her roles in 1997 comedy 'B.A.P.S.', an adaptation of 'Cinderella' the same year, and sitcom 'Eve' from 2003 to 2006 - has sadly passed away after a private battle with colon cancer.
A statement on her Instagram page said: "It is with extremely heavy hearts that we share the loss of our beautiful Natalie this morning from colon cancer.
"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."
Halle Berry - who co-starred with her in 1997's 'B.A.P.S.' - has paid an emotional tribute to her former castmate.
In a lengthy social media post, the 54-year-old actress noted she was "still processing this devastating news", and reflecting on their time together on screen.
She tweeted: "I am forever grateful for that moment. Natalie was one of the most precious people I've ever known. The second I met her our hearts here intertwined - we had a connection that was simply unexplainable, and she stayed her same sweet self all the years I knew her.
"Natalie taught us love, joy and humour through her characters - she could never dim her light, and it was infectious. With her I laughed harder than I'd ever laughed before.
"She showed us it was ok to be goofy and funny while still being sincere and extraordinarily kind."
Halle, 54, added that Natalie was "underrated" and "passed over" in Hollywood, and "deprived" of further success.
She explained: "Natalie represented actual black women, not what black women are perceived to be. For that she was often underrated, passed over - deprived of the platform she truly deserved.
"But her light continues to shine through the people who grew up watching her, the people who knew her best and those of us who loved her."
Tagged in Halle Berry