Cancer has claimed many entertainers this year, from Adam Yauch to Donna Summer. Now, former Moesha actress Yvette Wilson — in the far right of the photo — succumbed to her fight with cervical cancer on Thursday, her friend Jeffrey Pittle confirmed. She was 48.
"It is with a heavy heart that I can verify that Yvette passed away last evening after a lengthy and hard battle," he wrote on a website set up to gain donations for her medical treatment. "She was a fighter to the end, and her talent, humor and amazing friendship will be sorely missed. She will live on through her awesome body of work."
The actress — best known for her role on the Brandy comedy and the spin-off UPN show, The Parkers — also acted in other projects, including the short-lived sitcom Thea and films like House Party 2, Friday, Poetic Justice and Don't Be a Menace to South Central While Drinking Your Juice in the Hood.
In recent years, Wilson worked in real estate and managed a record company.
Her celebrity pals and former co-stars have expressed their sadness over her death in tweets and statements.
"F--- Cancer!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! ... oh god ... my heart is soooo unbelievably broken ... I wanna thank all my tweeties for their prayers but god has chosen to take my sister Yvette home," former Moesha co-star Shar Jackson tweeted.
"God bless u Yvette Wilson. Tears in my eyes. Keep God laughing," Jamie Foxx added.
"Yvette Wilson & I use to do standup together in the early '90's. She always had you laughing cuz' she was so crazy," The View host Sherri Shepherd added.
Our thoughts go out to her family and friends during this hard time.