Gerren Taylor Dies: ‘Baldwin Hills’ Star and Model Was 30

Gerren Taylor posing in photos from her Instagram. Credit: Instagram/@mstaylorxo

Gerren Taylor, a model known for her appearances on BET’s Baldwin Hills, has died. She was 30.

Essence reported the reality television personality and model, whose full name is Ashley Taylor Gerren, passed away in her sleep on Sunday morning.

No official cause of death has been given, although the magazine said Taylor was battling lupus and had been on dialysis.

BET issued a statement on its Instagram account to address her passing, writing: “Our hearts go out to the family and friends of Ashley Gerren Taylor who has recently passed.”

Ray Cunningham, also known as Misster Ray from VH1’s Love and Hip-Hop, took to Instagram to post about his “BET fam.” Part of his caption read: “Just got the worst news ever and I’m still not processing it fully. I’ve known @mstaylorxo since 2006, the #BaldwinHills cast was like the little sisters and brothers to #CollegeHill ??”

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Baldwin Hills aired on BET from 2007 to 2009 and showed Black teenagers, including Taylor growing up in Los Angeles’ wealthy Baldwin Hills neighborhood.

Fans took to Twitter to not only remember her time on the reality show, but also to share how important her work as a model was for representation in the Black community.

Twitter user @BigBadTay tweeted: “I remember Gerren Taylor from Baldwin Hills, but before that she was the ONLY Black girl on the pages in my Teen Vogue magazine! A young legend in her own right, may she rest in peace.”

Taylor was an entrepreneur with two clothing stores according to her Instagram bio—an online clothing boutique called Hush Dollz and an online kid’s boutique called Miyokoscloset.

She leaves behind her young daughter, who she often shared pictures of on her Instagram account.