‘Sistas,’ ‘Young and the Restless’ Actress Was 66
Dee Freeman, the Sistas and Young and the Restless actress, has died. She was 66.
Freeman died Thursday following a battle with cancer, her family announced on Instagram.
“On behalf of her family, it is with deepest sadness that we share this update with you. Dee passed away peacefully on April 2, 2026 after a brave and fearless fight with cancer,” their statement reads. “Thank you to everyone who supported Dee during her battle. It blew her away to know how many people cared about her and were pulling for her. We know Dee is up there in heaven being the force of nature she always was. Now she’s doing it with her angel wings on. Rest in peace, Dee.”
Born in Louisiana in 1959, Freeman joined the United States Marine Corps after high school. After serving in the military, she began her career in the arts, beginning with theater and then evolving into film and television. She most recently starred in seasons nine and 10 of Tyler Perry’s Sistas, where she portrayed Valerie Barnes, the mother to KJ Smith Black’s character Andi Barnes.
Freeman lent her acting talents to three episodes of The Young and the Restless; a 2016 episode of Shameless; and a 2021 episode of NCIS: Los Angeles, among others. She also led the satirical comedy Pretty the Series from 2010-2015.
At the time of her death, Freeman was developing a novel adaptation of her one-woman show Poison Gun, which was inspired by the history of her family.
“Dee wasn’t just my client — she was someone I truly respected and admired,” Desirae L. Benson, Freeman’s publicist, said in a statement. “She carried herself with a level of grace, strength, and authenticity that is rare. Even in the face of stage 4 lung cancer, she showed up with courage and dignity. Dee had a quiet power that commanded respect without ever needing to demand it. Her legacy is not just in her work, but in how she made people feel — and that will stay with us forever.”
Freeman is survived by her children, Amber and Shane; her mother, brothers and sisters.
