Halle Berry’s Tribute to B.A.P.S. Costar ​Natalie Desselle

Halle Berry is remembering her late B.A.P.S. costar Natalie Desselle-Reid following her death on Dec. 7. In a heartfelt Instagram post, the actress recounted working with Natalie in the 1997 film. “I’m still processing this devastating news – and as I continue to read all of your kind words, memories of Natalie continue to flood back to me,” she wrote alongside a series of photos of her and Natalie.

Halle started off by thanking B.A.P.S. director Robert Townsend for bringing the two of them together and facilitating their “divine connection,” noting that their roles as Nisi and Mickey “would change our lives and impact our culture for generations to come.” “I am forever grateful for that moment,” she said. “Natalie 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 then went on to discuss Natalie’s light and the profound impact she had on audiences, especially Black women. “Natalie taught us love, joy and humor through her characters – she could never dim her light, and it was infectious,” she continued. “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. Natalie 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 her note by offering her condolences to Natalie’s husband and three kids, writing, “Above all, she was a daughter, wife, friend and mother; and my heart is with her entire family, especially with Leonard, Sereno, Summer and Sasha. I’ll love you forever my sweet friend. [I’ma] miss you Nat Dog!”