Erica Ash, the hilarious actress best known for her roles on “Mad TV” and “Real Husbands of Hollywood,” has died at 46.
“It saddens me to confirm that our beloved sister, Erica Ash, is now an ancestor,” Roland Martin confirmed on X. “Erica was an amazing, talented, funny and serious actress. I adored her … pray for her family.”
A scene that has lived in Black television history and as an online meme is Kevin Hart jumping into Ash’s arms the moment he senses danger. Ash played the role of Hart’s ex-wife, Bridgette Hart, on the show.
Rest well Erica Ash. 🕊️ pic.twitter.com/TKNRVXFTsG
— BK (@itzbkdudee) July 29, 2024
On “Mad TV,” Ash played many roles impersonating Black female celebrities like Condoleeza Rice and Naomi Campbell.
Later in life, the Decatur, Georgia, native became a celebrity advocate for voting as she sat with Martin during the last election cycle detailing her journey in recognizing how important it was to vote.
Ash was also an ambassador and spokesperson for Girls For A Change, a nonprofit focused on empowering Black girls.
Join Erica Ash in supporting the #DivaBagAuction by donating a handbag or items to go in a bag. Our goal is to raise $350K toward the one million dollar goal. Help us make the Diva Bag Auction a success! Details >> https://t.co/gHgiEef0vm #1MReasonstoBuild pic.twitter.com/Qb6TxbOE74
— Girls For A Change (@girlsforachange) March 16, 2022
The announcement of Ash’s death was a bit unorthodox. Reports first surfaced the morning of July 29 on multiple blogs before quickly being deleted by BET, theJasmineBRAND and HuffPost senior front page editor Philip Lewis. Two hours later, Martin confirmed it.
