Dee Freeman Passes Away at 66: Remembering the Talented Actress from ‘The Young and the Restless’ and ‘Sistas’
Dolores “Dee” Freeman, renowned for her roles in The Young and the Restless and Tyler Perry’s Sistas, has passed away at the age of 66.
Freeman’s family announced her death on Thursday, revealing that she succumbed to stage 4 lung cancer after “a brave and fearless fight.” This information was shared through a heartfelt statement on her Instagram account.
“On behalf of her family, it is with deepest sadness that we share this update with you,” they wrote in the post. “Dee passed away peacefully on April 2, 2026 after a brave and fearless fight with cancer.”
The family also expressed their gratitude for the support Freeman received during her battle, stating, “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.”
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Freeman was born in Louisiana on June 6, 1959, and served in the United States Marine Corps for six years before moving to Japan, where she worked as a radio DJ.
She made her onscreen debut in a 1995 episode of ABC’s Coach, subsequently appearing in various popular shows including Party of Five, 3rd Rock from the Sun, Seinfeld, ER, and Bones. Most recently, she portrayed characters in Shameless and Sistas.
From 2010 to 2015, Freeman starred in the parody reality show Pretty the Series as Ribina Champagne.
In recent years, she had been working on adapting her one-woman show Poison Gun into a novel that draws upon her family’s history.
Freeman is survived by her children, Amber and Shane, as well as an ex-husband and several exotic animals.
