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The star's son, Kyle Johnson, issued a statement on Sunday announcing that Nichelle had passed away of natural causes on Saturday. She was 89. Kyle penned in part, "Hers was a life well lived and as such a model for us all. I, and the rest of our family, would appreciate your patience and forbearance as we grieve her loss until we can recover sufficiently to speak further.". Nichols played Nyota Uhura in 70 episodes of Star Trek between 1966 and 1969, making her one of the first Black women to feature in a major TV show.