MSNBC and CNN legal analyst Midwin Charles, who was also a contributor for ESSENCE, died at age 47-years-old.
Her family made the announcement on Tuesday via Instagram and Twitter about Charles’ “untimely passing,” where they referred to her as a “devoted daughter, sister, aunt, niece and cousin.” The cause of death is unknown.
Angela Rye commented under the Instagram post with “Sending you all so much love,” while Brittany Packnett Cunningham offered her prayers to her family during “this immeasurably loss.” Actress and comedian Amanda Seales commented, “Truly Heartbreaking,” while fellow journalist Shaun Robinson described the news as “devastating.”
Born and raised in Brooklyn, New York, Charles earned her Bachelor’s Degree from Syracuse University and later studied law at American University, Washington College of Law in Washington, D.C., where she was an Articles Editor for the American University Law Review. She later founded the Midwin Charles & Associates in New York City.
According to her biography, Charles—who has Haitian roots—offered political and pop cultural commentary for networks such as aw, pop culture and politics for various television shows and networks, including CNN, HLN, MSNBC, Bloomberg TV, and TV One in addition to being a contributor to ESSENCE. She served as a board member for Women in Entertainment Empowerment Network (WEEN) and a member of the Civil Rights Committee for the Association of the Bar of the City of New York.
Colleagues, celebrities, friends and family gathered on the Internet to pay their respects to the late commentator since the news of her sudden passing. See below for some of the flowers being given to Charles throughout the media industry, by close friends and fans: