Dee Freeman 'Young and the Restless' Actor Dead at 66

Published April 4, 2026 8:44 AM PDT

Dee Freeman, best known for her roles in "The Young and the Restless," "Dexter," and "Sistas," has died following a stage 4 lung cancer diagnosis.

Freeman's publicist Desirae L. Benson announced her death in a statement shared Friday ... saying she passed the day before. Benson said she faced cancer with dignity and resilience, and refused to complain because "on the other side [complaining] doesn’t do you any good" -- something Freeman said in her final moments, according to Benson.

Freeman’s family also confirmed her death in a post on her Instagram page, saying she passed away "peacefully."

It's unclear when she was diagnosed with lung cancer.

The Louisiana-born actress starred in 3 episodes of "The Young and the Restless" in 1997 and 2009, and appeared in the Tyler Perry-created show "Sistas" in January. She also led the satirical parody show, "Pretty the Series," between 2010 and 2015.

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She had roles in "Seinfeld," "The X-Files," Dexter, "Shameless," "The Hughleys," "NCIS: Los Angeles," and so many more projects.

Freeman made her foray into acting after serving in the United States Marine Corps following her high school graduation. Her first TV role was in the series "Coach" in 1995, per her IMDb page.

She is survived by 2 children, Amber and Shane.

Freeman was 66.

RIP