Dee Freeman, an actress who appeared on The Young and the Restless and Tyler Perry’sSistas, has died. She was 66.
A statement shared via Freeman’s Instagram account on Friday, April 3, confirmed that she died the day prior following her battle with stage 4 lung cancer.
“On behalf of her family, it is with deepest sadness that we share this update with you,” the statement read. “Dee passed away peacefully on April 2, 2026, after a brave and fearless fight with cancer.”
The statement went on to express gratitude to Freeman’s supporters during her cancer journey.
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“Thank you to everyone who supported Dee during her battle,” the statement continued. “It blew her away to know how many people cared about her and were pulling for her.”
The statement concluded: “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 on June 6, 1959, Freeman served in the United States Marine Corps for six years and worked as a radio DJ in Japan before pursuing her acting career. She made her TV debut on a 1995 episode of Craig T. Nelson’sABCsitcom, Coach.
Freeman went on to appear on many popular shows, notably portraying a judge and a nurse on three episodes of The Young and the Restless between 1997 and 2009 and Valerie Barnes—Andi Barnes’ (KJ Smith Black) mother—on Sistas during seasons 9 and 10. She also starred on the comedy Pretty the Series from 2010 to 2015 and made guest appearances on 3rd Rock From the Sun, Seinfeld, The X-Files, The Hughleys, ER and Shameless.
In October 2025, Freeman announced her lung cancer diagnosis while asking for financial assistance via a GoFundMe campaign.
“I need help covering the whopping medical expenses I’m incurring (outside my medical insurance),” she wrote via Instagram at the time. “I’m fighting this with not only western medicine but alternative medicine as well. Whether your donation is big or small, every cent helps.”
Freeman also requested that casting directors help her find work, noting, “I am available for your one or two liners. Sistah gotta make that medical insurance!”
She concluded her post with a message of hope, writing, “Muhammed [sic] Ali is my favorite boxer of all time, so I’m channeling his spirit and strength. I’m about to put on my boxing gloves and knock this cancer out. I thank you for being in my corner to help me do it.”
Freeman shared what would become her final update to her Instagram followers in December 2025.
“In the last few weeks I’ve run the gamut of emotions: denial, anger, fear, all the above. However, I’ve never felt defeated,” she noted. “There has been some tough days (two rounds of chemo down … YUCK! However, I still looked pretty. Teeheehee).”
Freeman is survived by her children, Amber and Shane, as well as her mother, brothers and sisters.
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