Kimberly Hébert Gregory Dead at 52 as Tributes for ‘Vice Principals’ Star Pour In

Kimberly Hébert Gregory — a standout actress who played Dr. Belinda Brown on the HBO series Vice Principals — is dead at 52.

On Friday, October 3, Gregory’s ex-husband, singer and actor Chester Gregory, took to Instagram to confirm her death. He wrote in a poem format, “Kimberly Hébert Gregory. You were brilliance embodied, a Black woman whose mind lit every room, whose presence carried both fire and grace.”

Chester shared that Kimberly “taught us lessons in courage, in artistry, in resilience,” in addition to “how to keep showing up, even when life demanded more than its share.” Additionally, he called her “so much more than [an] ex-wife,” labeling Kimberly “my friend.”

“Our son, the song we wrote together, is the living echo of your light,” he continued. “Through him, your brilliance will never fade. Through him, your laughter will always resound.”

To conclude his heartfelt post, Chester wrote, “Thank you, Kimberly, for every chapter we shared. Your story was never defined by the battle, but by the beauty you carried through it,” noting that she died that day, on October 3, 2025.”

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A post shared by CHESTER GREGORY (C.H.E.S.S.) (@chestergregory)

In the comments, Chester’s followers flooded him with condolences.

Actress Kym Whitley wrote, “Noooo I have no words. She was fighting such a good fight. Such a light to the world.🙏🏽.”

Another Instagram user shared, “Sending so many prayers. She was an incredible artist and amazing human. So grateful I got to experience even an ounce 🙏🏽🙏🏽🙏🏽.”

Someone else commented, “This is beyond words. ❤️🙏🏽🕊️ I’m so very sorry.”

Meanwhile, actress Kim Coles wrote, “Sending you sooooo many hugs, dear one😢😢😢❤️❤️❤️.”

Vice Principals aired for two seasons on HBO from July 2016 to November 2017. In addition to Kimberly, the series starred co-creators Walton Goggins and Danny McBride, who played rival vice principals Lee Russell and Neal Gamby. The characters teamed up to try to cast out the newly appointed North Jackson High School principal, Dr. Belinda Brown (Kimberly), from her job.

On Saturday, October 4, Goggins took to Instagram with a tribute to Kimberly in the wake of her death.

Vice Principals, streaming on HBO Max