Remembering Stars And Tragedies Surrounding The TV Show Moesha

Few weeks back the world and the entertainment industry gasped when news broke that Yvette Wilson who played Andele on Moesha has passed away of Cervical cancer. What some people might not know is that another Moesha star died young without any major news coverage.

Artimus Lamont Bentley was best known for his role as Hakeem Campbell on singer Brandy's hit sitcom Moesha.

Bentley was born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin and moved to Los Angeles with his mother Loyce, who wished to ignite her career as a singer.

On January 18, 2005, he was killed in a single-car accident in southern California's Ventura County. He was driving on Highway 118 near Simi Valley (which is 30 miles northwest of Los Angeles) when his vehicle went over an embankment, ejecting him (the sole occupant) from the vehicle and into traffic where five cars struck him. He was 31 and the father of two young daughters.

Though Artimus was not known outside of the Moesha fame, other guest stars on the show went on to become big stars and one's death was mourned by the industry world wide, he was Bernie Mac.

Bernie Mac played Moesha’s uncle, and Yvette Wilson’s boyfriend on the series, Mac went on to star in his own sitcom The Bernie Mac Show and became forever known as a “King of Comedy” along with D.L. Hughley, Cedric the Entertainer and Steve Harvey. But at just 50 years old, Mac passed away from pneumonia.

Moesha’s first boyfriend Ohagi, played by Merlin Santana who also passed away in 2002. Those of you who didn’t know him from that probably knew him better as Romeo on The Steve Harvey Show which is currently being aired on Etv here in Mzansi. He was killed by a shot to the head while sitting in the passenger side of a friend’s car in Los Angeles. Read his memoriam here.

Brandy herself, although still with us, was involved in a tragic event in 2006 when she got into a car accident that cost Awatif Aboudihaj her life. Six years later, Brandy went on record about the incident on Vh1’s Behind the Music.

“They know that they can call me a murderer or call me someone that killed someone. They know that is a button for me. A murderer is someone who premeditates it. I didn’t wake up that day to be involved in a fatal car crash. I didn’t plan for that. And if I could take it back, I would.”

Don't forget that Brandy's brother and star of the show, Ray J, was linked to Whitney Houston upon her death.

Some journos have reacted to this incidents and tragedies involving the cast as a curse. What do you think?