celebrity deaths
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Police Academy Franchise and Broadway Star Marion Ramsey Dead at 73
Marion Ramsey, who co-starred in the 1980s Police Academy franchise, has died at the age of 73. As Variety reports, the actress died in her Los Angeles home on Thursday. Roger Paul of Roger Paul Inc. (the agency that managed Ramsey) confirmed the actress had recently fallen ill, but no official cause of death has…
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Naomi Ackie Will 'Dance With Somebody' as Whitney Houston in Biopic Directed by Stella Meghie
The first authorized Whitney Houston biopic has found its leading lady. According to Variety, Naomi Ackie (Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker) has been cast as Whitney, the iconic songstress known as “The Voice” who tragically died in February 2012. Back in April, it was announced that Stella Meghie (The Photograph) would be directing the…
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Friday Actor and 'Gentle Giant' Tommy 'Tiny' Lister Dead at 62 After Experiencing COVID-19 Symptoms
Tommy “Tiny” Lister, best-known for portraying “Deebo” in F. Gary Gray’s directorial debut Friday, has died at the age of 62, per TMZ. An official cause of death has not been determined. TMZ further reported: A release from The L.A. County Sheriff’s Department says friends and business associates of Lister became worried Thursday when they…
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Marguerite Ray, Who Portrayed the 1st Black Regular Character on The Young and the Restless, Dead at 89
Marguerite Ray, most known for being the first Black actress to portray the character of Mamie Johnson on the popular soap opera The Young and the Restless, has died at the age of 89. Per the East Bay Times, Ray died in Los Angeles on Nov. 18. According to the Hollywood Reporter, Mamie Johnson was…
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![Beloved B*A*P*S Co-Star Natalie Desselle-Reid Dead at 53 [Updated]](https://www.theroot.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/iasncll2vyvhzzotdudl-300x169.jpg)
Beloved B*A*P*S Co-Star Natalie Desselle-Reid Dead at 53 [Updated]
Natalie Desselle-Reid, most known for co-starring in the beloved Robert Townsend-helmed comedy B*A*P*S (which stood for Black American Princess), has died at the age of 53. An official cause of death has not yet been disclosed. “Just absolutely decimated by this news…Actress Natalie Desselle, a bright shining star passed away this morning,” actress Holly Robinson-Peete…
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'There’s Only One Chadwick': Marvel Executive Producer Denies Rumors of a Digitized T'Challa in Black Panther 2
After hearing the tragic news that Chadwick Boseman had died after a battle with colon cancer, there naturally followed questions and concerns about the sequel to Black Panther. Arguably, those discussions came too soon, with some wondering who would replace him or how the story would continue without him. Apparently, one of the rumored discussions…
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Let's Stay Together and Pitch Actor Bert Belasco Dies at 38, Peers Honor Him on Social Media
Bert Belasco, who co-starred in BET’s Let’s Stay Together and Fox’s Pitch, has died at the age of 38. According to BET, the actor was found dead on Sunday, Nov. 8. A cause of death has not yet been officially reported. Variety reports: Belasco, who lived in Woodland Hills, Calif., was in Virginia filming for…
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Alex Trebek, Longtime Jeopardy! Host, Has Died at 80
It’s the end of an era. Alex Trebek, the silver haired, sharp-minded host of the classic game show Jeopardy! has died at the age of 80. The show confirmed the news of Trebek’s death on Sunday, sharing on Twitter that he passed peacefully early in the morning. Trebek had been battling stage four pancreatic cancer,…
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Rare Black Panther Comic #1 Signed by Chadwick Boseman Is Currently Up for Auction
To fans who would like a piece of memorabilia to honor the late Chadwick Boseman and are able to afford it—there’s something pretty damn valuable that may catch your eye. On Monday, Nate D. Sanders Auctions announced that they were in possession of a rare Black Panther Comic #1 signed by the late Boseman as…
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Theater, Film and TV Actor Anthony Chisholm Dead at 77
Theater, film and television actor Anthony Chisholm has died at age 77, The Katz Company, his talent management, announced Friday. Chisholm was born on April 9, 1943, in Cleveland, Ohio and before he was a beloved actor he was a platoon leader for the U.S. Army’s 4th Armored Cavalry, 1st Infantry Division in the Vietnam…