Natalie Desselle-Reid, For Your Love and Eve Actress, Dead at 53

Actress Natalie Deselle-Reid, best known to TV audiences as Janie Egins on the UPN sitcom Eve, has died. She was 53.

The news was confirmed Monday morning on Deselle-Reid’s Instagram account. “It is with extremely heavy hearts that we share the loss of our beautiful Natalie this morning,” read the caption. “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.”

Deselle-Reid had reportedly been battling colon cancer.

Holly Robinson Peete, who appeared opposite Deselle-Reid in NBC/WB sitcom For Your Love, called her former co-star a “bright shining star” on Twitter, adding, “Just absolutely decimated by this news… I got to know her when my mom was managing her. She will be so missed… Sending out prayers to her children and husband.”