Star Trek Star William Shatner Remembers Late Co-Star Nichelle Nichols

The Star Trek family and entertainment industry as a whole suffered a massive loss this weekend, as news broke on Sunday afternoon that Nichelle Nichols died at the age of 89. Nichols, who is best known for playing Lt. Uhura in Star Trek: The Original Series, died of natural causes, according to a post written by her son. On Sunday evening, Nichols’ longtime co-star and on-screen captain, William Shatner, took to Twitter to pay tribute to the late actress.

Shatner played Captain Kirk on Star Trek: TOS and in many of the feature films. He and Nichols famously shared one of the first interracial kisses on television while portraying Kirk and Uhura. In his statement, Shatner called Nichols a “beautiful woman,” who “did so much for redefining social issues.”

“I am so sorry to hear about the passing of Nichelle,” Shatner wrote in the tweet. “She was a beautiful woman & played an admirable character that did so much for redefining social issues both here in the US & throughout the world. I will certainly miss her. Sending my love and condolences to her family. Bill.”

Kyle Johnson, the son of Nichols, broke the news of the actress’ passing on Sunday afternoon by posting a message to her official Facebook page.

“Friends, Fans, Colleagues, World I regret to inform you that a great light in the firmament no longer shines for us as it has for so many years,” Johnson wrote. “Last night, my mother, Nichelle Nichols, succumbed to natural causes and passed away. Her light however, like the ancient galaxies now being seen for the first time, will remain for us and future generations to enjoy, learn from, and draw inspiration. Hers was a life well lived and as such a model for us all. I, and the rest of our family, would appreciate your patience and forbearance as we grieve her loss until we can recover sufficiently to speak further. Her services will be for family members and the closest of her friends and we request that her and our privacy be respected. Live Long and Prosper.”

All of Nichols’ work as Lt. Uhura is streaming on Paramount+, along with the rest of the Star Trek franchise.