An accomplished ballerina whose life began in difficult circumstances in Africa, and who ended up starring in one of Beyonce's music videos, has died at the age of 29, reports USA Today. The family of Michaela Mabinty DePrince posted the news Friday on Facebook, noting their "profound sadness" and calling DePrince "an unforgettable inspiration to everyone who knew her or heard her story."
- Early life: CNN reports that DePrince was born in wartorn Sierra Leone in 1995 and sent to live in an orphanage—where she was called "the devil's child" due to her vitiligo skin condition—after her father was murdered by rebels and her mother succumbed to starvation. She was eventually adopted by a family in New Jersey and grew up in a family of 10 siblings, most of whom were adopted, per Glamour.