Diahann Carroll dead at 84
Credit: Image: Kate Hutchins/Shutterstock

Carroll was known for roles in Claudine, Julia and many more.

Soaps.com regrets to report that trailblazing actress and singer Diahann Carroll has passed away. Carroll’s daughter, Suzanne Kay, confirmed the actress died in her Los Angeles home from cancer on October 4. She was 84 years old.

Born Carol Diahann Johnson in New York City, Carroll attended the Music and Art High School and later New York University until her entertainment career took off. She was married to record producer Monte Kay (with whom she had her only child daughter Suzanne), Las Vegas boutique owner Fred Glusman, managing editor of Jet magazine Robert DeLeon, and singer Vic Damone. They all ended in divorce with the exception of DeLeon who died in a car crash. Carroll was first diagnosed with breast cancer in 1997 and was a founding member of the Celebrity Action Council, which worked with women in rehab.

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Carroll began modeling for Ebony magazine at the age of 15 and booked nightclub gigs after a several weeks winning streak on the Chance of a Lifetime show. Her first film role was in the Dorothy Dandridge starrer Carmen Jones. She would go on to star in the movies Porgy and Bess and Paris Blues as well as the TV series Julia, Dynasty, The Colbys, A Different World, Grey’s Anatomy and White Collar.

She won a Tony for her lead role in No Strings and was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Actress in Claudine. She earned a Golden Globe Award as well as an Emmy Award nomination for Julia, for which she is credited as the first African American actress to lead a TV series in a non-servant role.

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Soaps.com sends our condolences to Diahann Carroll’s daughter Suzanne, grandchildren August and Sydney, friends and other loved ones. Remember the stars we lost in 2019 in our photo gallery below.