Her family claimed in a statement that she was a “unforgettable inspiration to everyone who knew her or heard her story” and that a representative had announced her passing on her own Instagram profile.
It is unknown what caused the death.
From suffering as an orphan in war-torn Sierra Leone, DePrince underwent an incredible journey that culminated in multiple accolades in the realm of international dance.
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Her relatives described her passing as “sudden” and stated, “Michaela touched so many lives across the world, including ours.”
Mia Mabinty DePrince, DePrince’s sister, wrote that she was “in a state of shock and tremendous despair” and that “my beautiful sister.
Misty Copeland, an American ballerina, posted on social media, “She remained determined, focused, and began making big strides, despite being told the world wasn’t ready for black ballerinas” or that “black ballerinas weren’t worth investing in.”
Michaela DePrince: The war orphan who trained as a dancer
DePrince was born in Kenema, Sierra Leone, in 1995. Her parents passed away during the civil war, and at the age of three, she was placed in an orphanage.
She has previously discussed how, due to her vitiligo, a disorder that causes patches of skin to lose color, she was viewed as a “devil’s child” in the orphanage.
But after being adopted by an American couple when she was four years old, she moved to New Jersey. Her adoptive mother saw her right away.
