Kiki Shepard, actor and longtime host of Showtime at the Apollo, has died aged 74.
According to her representatives who spoke to TMZ, Shepard died unexpectedly after suffering a massive heart attack late on Monday 16 March in Los Angeles.
Shepard was best known as the co-host of the syndicated variety show Showtime at the Apollo between 1987 to 2002, sharing the stage with Steve Harvey for seven years and helping to introduce aspiring performers at the Harlem theatre.
Born on 15 July 1951 in Tyler, Texas, she started her career as a professional dancer in the early seventies, performing around the world with troupes including the DC Repertory Dance Company.
Shepard also acted in series such as Baywatch, A Different World and NYPD Blue.
Recently, she played herself in the semi-autobiographical sitcom Everybody Hates Chris, created by comedian Chris Rock and Ali LeRoi, and appeared in Grey’s Anatomy.
She had a small uncredited role in The Wiz, as one of the citizens of the Emerald City, in 1978.
On Broadway, she appeared in productions such as Bubbling Brown Sugar, Reggae, Your Arms Too Short to Box with God, and Porgy and Bess.
Friends, colleagues and fans paid tribute to the late star on social media.
Writing on X, TV personality and salon owner Elgin Charles said: “It is with a heavy, shattered heart that I process the sudden passing of my dear friend, the legendary Kiki Shepard.
“To lose a light so bright without warning feels like a theft of time, leaving an ache that words can barely touch. Kiki was more than a cultural icon and the soul of Showtime at the Apollo; she was my sister in spirit. Our bond was forged over four decades, anchored by our shared Texas roots and a friendship that remained unbreakable through every season of life.”
It is with a heavy, shattered heart that I process the sudden passing of my dear friend, the legendary Kiki Shepard. To lose a light so bright without warning feels like a theft of time, leaving an ache that words can barely touch.
— Elgin Charles (@ElginCharles) March 17, 2026
Kiki was more than a cultural icon and the… pic.twitter.com/0zoO6wnVYk
He concluded: “To her family, our mutual friends, and the community she served so tirelessly: we have lost a giant. Kiki represented the very best of us, and while her physical presence is gone, her legacy as a champion for our people and a loyal friend will never fade. Rest in power, my sweet friend. You are forever loved and will be profoundly missed.”
