Dolores ‘Dee’ Freeman, known for her roles in The Young and the Restless and Tyler Perry’s Sistas, has died.
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Freeman’s family announced her death on Instagram, stating she died after a “brave and fearless fight” with stage 4 lung cancer.
“On behalf of her family, it is with deepest sadness that we share this update with you,” her family began in the post. “Dee passed away peacefully on April 2, 2026, after a brave and fearless fight with cancer.”
“Thank you to everyone who supported Dee during her battle,” Freeman’s family added. “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.”
Her publicist, Desirae L. Benson, remembered Freeman as “someone I truly respected and admired” in a statement, commending the actress’s “strength” during her cancer battle.
“Even in the face of stage 4 lung cancer, she showed up with courage and dignity,” Benson wrote. “Dee had a quiet power that commanded respect without ever needing to demand it.”
Dee Freeman Served as a Marine Before Embarking on Her Enterainment Career
Freeman was born in Louisiana on June 6, 1959. She served in the United States Marine Corps for six years before moving to Japan, where she worked as a radio DJ.
Per IMDb, Freeman made her on-screen debut in a 1995 episode of ABC’s Coach. She went on to appear in numerous shows, including Party of Five, 3rd Rock from the Sun, Suddenly Susan, Seinfeld, Kenan & Kel, The X-Files, The Hughleys, Six Feet Under, ER, Bones, Dexter, The Young and the Restless, Shameless, and Tyler Perry’s Sistas.
From 2010 to 2015, Freeman starred as Ribina Champagne in the parody reality show Pretty the Series. Freeman was also recently adapting her one-woman show, Poison Gun, into a novel inspired by her family’s history.
Freeman is survived by her children, Amber and Shane, and her ex-husband.