Halle Berry pays tribute to 'B.A.P.S.' co-star Natalie Desselle Reid: 'I'll love you forever my sweet friend'

Halle Berry is paying tribute to her B.A.P.S. co-star Natalie Desselle Reid after taking a minute to collect her thoughts.

Reid, who also appeared on the show Eve, died of colon cancer Monday at age 53. As news spread, Berry shared a video of them hugging in the 1997 movie they appeared in together, saying she was in “total shock and was “completely heartbroken,” calling for “a minute” to pull together a proper tribute. It came a few hours later.

Berry said she is “still processing this devastating news,” but “memories of Natalie continue to flood back to me” as she read the other reactions flowing in.

She said B.A.P.S. director Robert Townsend “facilitated our divine connection by uniting us in roles that would change our lives and impact our culture for generations to come. I am forever grateful for that moment.”

Berry said Reid “was one of the most precious people I’ve ever known. The second I met her our hearts were intertwined — we had a connection that was simply unexplainable, and she stayed her same sweet self all the years I knew her.”

She said she learned from Reid, who “taught us love, joy and humor through her characters — she could never dim her light, and it was infectious. With her I laughed harder than I’d ever laughed before. She showed us it was OK to be goofy and funny while still being sincere and extraordinarily kind. She and I would hoot and holler over every #BAPS tribute we came across, sending them back and forth to one another, overwhelmed that our on screen friendship meant as much to you as it did to us. She was especially humbled by that, as am I.”

Berry also said that Reid “represented actual Black women, not what Black women are perceived to be. For that she was often underrated, passed over — deprived of the platform she truly deserved. But her light continues to shine through the people who grew up watching her, the people who knew her best and those of us who loved her.”

She ended by noting that “above all,” Reid was “a daughter, wife, friend and mother” and sent her sympathy to her “entire family,” adding, “I’ll love you forever my sweet friend. ima miss you Nat Dog!”

Reid’s family announced her death on Monday, writing in a social media post, “It is with extremely heavy hearts that we share the loss of our beautiful Natalie this morning. 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.”

Reid broke into showbiz playing Tanika in the 1996 film Set It Off, which starred Queen Latifah and Jada Pinkett Smith. She also appeared on the sitcom Family Matters. Then she made a splash appearing as Mickey in B.A.P.S.with Berry. The film, under Townsend’s direction, saw the two female entrepreneurs hoping to open a combination hair salon and soul food restaurant, so they set out to L.A. to raise money. While there, they become Black American Princesses.

Reid also played How to Be A Player and 1997’s Cinderella.

Many other celebrities paid tribute to Reid, including her Cinderella co-star Brandy, Viola Davis and Holly Robinson Peete.

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