One Half of Pro-Trump Duo 'Diamond and Silk' Has Died

A familiar name within the pro-Trump camp has died: Lynette Hardaway—aka "Diamond" of Diamond and Silk—died Monday at age 51, reports NBC News. No cause of death was provided, and NBC notes that the duo's Twitter account posted a plea for prayers for Hardaway in November, without specifying why. The other half of the pair is Hardaway's sister, Rochelle "Silk" Richardson. As Deadline recounts, the two first rose to fame thanks to YouTube videos in which they declared themselves to be ardent supporters of Donald Trump during his 2016 campaign. Eventually, they became familiar faces on the right, with shows on Fox News and Newsmax.

Trump himself took note of her death. “Really bad news for Republicans and frankly, ALL Americans," he wrote on Truth Social. "Our beautiful Diamond, of Diamond and Silk, has just passed away at her home in the State she loved so much, North Carolina." He said Silk was with her, adding, "probably her big and precious HEART just plain gave out." The sisters, who wrote their story in the book Uprising, have said they were lifelong Democrats before switching parties to become Trump's "most loyal supporters." The Diamond and Silk account tweeted confirmation of the news. (The pair were strong opponents of COVID vaccines, and they may have lost their Fox show as a result of pushing related conspiracy theories.)