Nichelle Nichols, the groundbreaking actor who played Lieutenant Nyota Uhura on the original “Star Trek” series, has died. She was 89.
Nichols’ death was confirmed on Sunday by her son, Kyle Johnson, on her website. Johnson said his mother died of natural causes.
“Her light, however, like the ancient galaxies now being seen for the first time, will remain for us and future generations to enjoy, learn from, and draw inspiration,” Johnson said in a statement posted to the website.
Johnson said his mother’s life was “well-lived and as such a model for” everyone. He asked for privacy for the family.
Nichols and her “Star Trek” character Uhura broke barriers as one of the first Black female leads on television.
Rod Roddenberry, executive producer of the current iterations of “Star Trek” and son of the show’s creator Gene Roddenberry mourned Nichols’ passing on Sunday.
“It is with great sorrow that we report the passing on the legendary icon Nichelle Nichols,” he tweeted. “No words.”
This is a breaking news story. Check back for updates.
Source: | This article originally belongs to Nbcnews.com
