‘DWTS’ star, mocked as orphan for spotty skin, dies at 29, – adoptive mom dies next day

The ballet world is mourning the death of Dancing with the Stars Michaela Mabinty DePrince, an inspirational ballerina who beat staggering odds to become one of the world’s most famous dancers.

Michaela, an orphan from war-torn Sierra Leone, was a dancer with the Boston Ballet who gained widespread notoriety after starring in the 2011 documentary First Position. She died September 10 at only 29.

Adding to the family’s tragic loss, Michaela’s adoptive mom – who rescued Michaela from the filthy shelter where she was told she was “too ugly” to find a family – died only 24 hours later.

After her father was brutally killed in war-torn Sierra Leone and her mother died from fever, four-year-old Michaela Mabinty DePrince was abandoned by her uncle in a shelter where staff every day tried to break her spirit.

Known then as “Number 27” a young Michaela had little hope of finding a family as she had vitiligo, a condition that causes patches of skin to lose pigmentation.

The young girl, called “the devil child” because of her patchy skin, was told repeatedly that she was too ugly to be picked.

“We were all ranked from the most favored to the least, and I was at the very bottom for being rebellious and having a skin condition called vitiligo, which produces white freckles on my neck and chest,” Michaela said, adding she slept on a grass sleeping mat with “Number 26.”

Aside from the vomit-stained nightgown she was wearing, all she had was a magazine, which according to Glamour had (literally) blown onto her face. And on the cover was a ballerina en pointe – a dancer supporting all her body weight on the tips of her toes.

“The dancer looked beautiful and happy, that’s what caught my eye,” Michaela tells Glamour. “I wanted to be happy.”

And the crumpled old photo of the ballerina was the first thing she handed Elaine DePrince, who took her to her new home in New Jersey.

“There was so much love right away,” said Michaela, who over the next two decades would be the prima ballerina on the cover of magazines. “I had never been surrounded by something like that.”

‘My life is proof’

Michaela’s passion for dancing was ignited at a young age, and she pursued her dreams with remarkable dedication.

In 2011, Michaela became one of the stars of First Position, a documentary that followed six gifted dancers leading up to the competition for a place in the prestigious American Ballet Theatre’s Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis School of Ballet (JKO)

She not only earned a spot but was also awarded a scholarship to study at JKO.

The same year the award-winning documentary was released, Michaela also appeared on Dancing with the Stars.

“My life is proof that no matter what situation you’re in, as long as you have a supportive family, you can achieve anything,” Michaela said.

In 2012, the talented ballerina joined the renowned Dance Theatre of Harlem, where she continued to shine as a rising star. Her exceptional talent and grace later led her to the Dutch National Ballet, where the War Child Ambassador further established herself as a formidable presence in the ballet world.

While she was living in Amsterdam and training for The Nutcracker, she received a call, inviting her to travel to New Orleans and dance in Beyonce’s hour-long video, Lemonade, which was released in 2016.

Speaking with the Wall Street Journal of meeting the pop sensation, Michaela said, “She walked up to me and said, ‘It’s such an honor to have you here.’ I was really cheesy and said, ‘The honor is mine.’ I was on cloud nine.”

‘Beacon of hope’

On September 10, her family released a heartbreaking message about the principal soloist with the Boston Ballet.

“Rest in Power,” the post starts about the dancer who died on September 10. “With pain in our hearts, we share the loss of star ballerina Michaela Mabinty DePrince, whose artistry touched countless hearts and whose spirit inspired many, leaving an indelible mark on the world of ballet, and beyond.”

The Facebook post describes Michaela as an inspiration who “stood as a beacon of hope for many, showing that no matter the obstacles, beauty and greatness can rise from the darkest of places.”

The cause of her death has not yet been released.

Mom ‘spared the pain’

Only 24 hours after Michaela’s sudden death, her doting adoptive mom Elaine DePrince died on September 11 “during a routine procedure in preparation for a surgery.”

A family statement on Facebook explains that at the time of Elaine’s death, she was unaware that her daughter had died.

 “As unbelievable as it may seem, the two deaths were completely unrelated. The only way we can make sense of the senseless is that Elaine, who had already lost three children many years ago, was by the grace of God spared the pain of experiencing the loss of a fourth child.” The message continues, “What the family is going through right now is truly unimaginably painful. Grieving two family members who died within a 24-hour period is tragic and devastating. We continue to ask for privacy…”

Rest in peace Michaela and Elaine. Please share your thoughts with us and then share this story so we can all send a lot of love to the family and friends of this mother-daughter duo.

I Set up a Hidden Camera in My Living Room to Catch My Husband Cheating — What I Found Out Instead Shattered Me

When my husband started acting strange, I suspected the worst. I decided to get actual proof of his betrayal, but what I discovered broke me down in tears! Luckily, the truth brought us closer than ever.

I had always considered myself a reasonable person, someone who approached situations with a level head. But when it came to my marriage, all that seemed to fly out the window! For weeks, maybe even months, a heavy cloud of doubt hung over my head. I believed my husband was cheating, but when I discovered the actual truth, I was shattered.

An unhappy woman | Source: Midjourney

An unhappy woman | Source: Midjourney

My husband, Damien, who once filled our home with laughter and light, had changed. He’d become distant, lied about spending our money, and became quiet, almost as if he was retreating into a shell I couldn’t penetrate.

It started small, with missing dinner a couple of times, staying late at work more often than usual, and hiding his phone, which was constantly buzzing with messages he wouldn’t explain.

A man looking at his phone | Source: Freepik

A man looking at his phone | Source: Freepik

At first, I tried brushing it off. People go through phases, I told myself. Maybe he was just stressed. But as the days turned into weeks, I couldn’t shake the feeling that something was terribly wrong. My mind spiraled into the darkest corners, whispering things I didn’t want to believe.

Was he seeing someone else? Was I losing him? Every time I confronted him, he would look at me with those tired eyes and offer some half-hearted excuse. “It’s just work, Lacy,” he’d say, forcing a smile. “Nothing to worry about.”

But his words felt hollow, and I couldn’t convince myself they were true.

A doubtful woman | Source: Midjourney

A doubtful woman | Source: Midjourney

The breaking point came one night when he came home long after midnight, reeking of whiskey. He slumped into bed without a word, leaving me wide awake and seething with anger and fear. I needed to know the truth, no matter how ugly it might be.

I’m not proud of what I’ve done, but if you were in my place, you might have done the same thing. I needed to see for myself what was really going on.

I hated the thought of spying on Damien, but the need to know the truth was stronger than the guilt gnawing at my conscience.

A woman deep in thought | Source: Midjourney

A woman deep in thought | Source: Midjourney

The next day, I dusted off my old nanny camera and, with trembling hands, set it up in our living room. I angled it just right so it would capture the entire room without being obvious. I wanted to see what he got up to when I wasn’t around.

I was prepared for the worst-case scenario, catching my husband with some other woman, someone probably younger. But, for the first few days, I couldn’t bring myself to check the footage. I was too afraid of having my greatest fears realized.

A woman setting up a nanny camera | Source: Midjourney

A woman setting up a nanny camera | Source: Midjourney

But the tension in our home continued to grow, with Damien becoming more and more withdrawn. I couldn’t take it any longer! One evening, after my husband once again retreated into his silent shell, I sat down with my laptop and pulled up the footage.

My heart pounded as I watched the screen. I saw Damien come home, looking as weary as ever. He didn’t even bother to turn on the lights, just collapsed onto the couch and buried his face in his hands. For a moment, I felt a pang of sympathy, but it was quickly overshadowed by my need for answers.

A woman watching footage on her laptop | Source: Pexels

A woman watching footage on her laptop | Source: Pexels

I fast-forwarded through the footage, watching him sit there, motionless, for what felt like an eternity. And then, he reached into his coat pocket. My breath caught in my throat. I couldn’t believe my eyes as he pulled out an envelope and withdrew a letter, unfolding it with trembling hands.

My dear husband of ten years began to read, and that’s when I saw it… the tears. They started slowly, just a few drops sliding down his cheeks. But soon, his shoulders began to shake, and he crumpled into himself, sobbing quietly in the darkness. I had never seen him cry. Never.

A man crying | Source: Freepik

A man crying | Source: Freepik

I stared at the screen, unable to process what I was seeing. There was no other woman, no secret phone calls or messages. Just Damien, alone in the dark, breaking down in a way I had never seen before.

I watched the scene over and over, my mind racing with possibilities. What was in that letter? Why was he hiding this from me? I couldn’t make sense of it, but one thing was clear: I needed to read that letter.

A shocked woman looking at something on her laptop | Source: Pexels

A shocked woman looking at something on her laptop | Source: Pexels

I noted which coat the envelope was in and made it a point to get a hold of it. I woke up in the middle of the night amid my fitful sleep. I couldn’t sleep because I was desperate to see what tragedy had gotten him so torn.

I rushed to where he’d put the letter and grabbed it as he slept. As I read the first lines, MY HEART SANK. There, right next to his name, it said that my husband was dying. Dying… that’s all my eyes could focus on. I couldn’t read anything else…

A shocked woman reading a letter | Source: Midjourney

A shocked woman reading a letter | Source: Midjourney

Confused, I put the envelope back and stayed up, waiting for Damien to wake up, my heart racing with anticipation. By the time he came into the kitchen, he looked even more exhausted than the night before.

His eyes were bloodshot, and there were dark circles under them as if he hadn’t slept in days. “Morning,” he mumbled, pouring himself a cup of coffee. He didn’t look at me, just stared into his cup like it held all the answers in the world.

A tired man holding a cup of coffee in the kitchen | Source: Midjourney

A tired man holding a cup of coffee in the kitchen | Source: Midjourney

“Damien, we need to talk,” I said, my voice trembling despite my efforts to stay calm.

He looked up at me, and for a moment, I saw a flicker of fear in his eyes. “What’s going on, Lacy?” he asked, his voice wary.

“I saw you last night,” I said, trying to keep my voice steady. “I know about the letter, Damien. I saw you crying. Please, just tell me what’s going on.”

The color drained from his face, and for a moment, I thought he might faint. He set down his coffee cup, his hands shaking, and stared at the table.

“Lacy, I didn’t want you to find out this way,” he whispered.

An upset man | Source: Midjourney

An upset man | Source: Midjourney

“What’s in the letter?” I pressed, leaning forward. “Please, just tell me the truth.”

He took a deep breath. “I’ve been diagnosed with something,” he finally said, his voice so quiet I almost didn’t hear him. “It’s… it’s not good, Lacy.”

My heart skipped a beat. “What do you mean? What’s wrong?”

Damien looked up at me, his eyes filled with tears. “It’s cancer,” he said, his voice cracking. “Terminal. The doctors gave me six months, maybe less.”

A sad man sharing heartbreaking news | Source: Midjourney

A sad man sharing heartbreaking news | Source: Midjourney

I felt like the floor had just fallen out from under me. The room spun, and I had to grab the edge of the table to steady myself.

“Why didn’t you tell me?” I whispered, my voice breaking. “Why did you try to hide this from me?”

He reached out, taking my hand in his, his grip weak and trembling. “Because I didn’t want you to go through this,” he said, tears streaming down his face. “I didn’t want you to have to watch me die. I thought… I thought if I could just keep it to myself, maybe it would be easier for you.”

An emotional husband hands with his wife | Source: Midjourney

An emotional husband hands with his wife | Source: Midjourney

“Easier?” I repeated, my voice rising in disbelief. “How could you think that shutting me out would make this easier? We’re supposed to be a team, Damien. We’re supposed to face things together. You can’t just decide to go through this alone.”

“I know,” he whispered, his voice filled with regret. “I know, and I’m so sorry, my love. I was scared. I didn’t want you to see me like this, weak and broken. I thought I could protect you, but all I did was hurt you.”

A husband explaining himself to his wife | Source: Midjourney

A husband explaining himself to his wife | Source: Midjourney

I grabbed him and pulled him in for a tight hug, trying to hold back the tears threatening to spill over.

“You don’t have to protect me from this, babe. I’m your wife. I want to be there for you, no matter what. We’ll face this together, okay? No more secrets.”

He nodded, hugging me back, his eyes filled with gratitude and sorrow. “I don’t deserve you, Lacy,” he whispered, his voice choked with emotion. “But I’m so glad I have you.”

An emotional couple hugging | Source: Midjourney

An emotional couple hugging | Source: Midjourney

We held each other like that for a long time, crying for everything we were about to lose. I knew the road ahead would be unbearably hard, but I also knew that we would face it together.

Afterward, I couldn’t stop thinking about all the time we had lost, all the moments we could have spent together if he had just told me the truth. But I knew dwelling on it wouldn’t change anything. What mattered now was that we were in this together.

A woman deep in thought | Source: Midjourney

A woman deep in thought | Source: Midjourney

As the weeks passed, I noticed changes in Damien, both physically and emotionally. He began to open up more, sharing his fears and worries with me! We spent our days trying to make the most of the time we had left, finding small joys in everyday moments!

We went on walks in the park, had movie nights at home, and even started working on a bucket list of things we wanted to do together before it was too late! One day, as we sat on the porch, watching the sunset, my husband turned to me with a sad smile.

A happy couple sitting on the porch | Source: Midjourney

A happy couple sitting on the porch | Source: Midjourney

“I wish I had told you sooner, Lacy,” he said quietly. “I’ve wasted so much time hiding from you, from us.”

I shook my head, squeezing his hand. “Don’t think about that now, baby. We’re here together, and that’s what matters. We can’t change the past, but we can make the most of the time we have left.”

He nodded, his eyes glistening with tears. “I don’t want to leave you,” he whispered, his voice breaking. “But I’m so grateful for the time we’ve had. You’ve made these last few months bearable, my bunny. I don’t know how I would have done it without you.”

A happy couple bonding | Source: Midjourney

A happy couple bonding | Source: Midjourney

Tears welled up in my eyes as I leaned in, resting my head on his shoulder.

“You don’t have to do anything alone anymore, my angel. I’m here with you, every step of the way.”

We sat there, wrapped in each other’s arms, as the sun dipped below the horizon. At that moment, I realized something important. I had set out to catch Damien in a betrayal, convinced that he was hiding something terrible from me.

And while I had uncovered a truth far more devastating, it had also brought us closer together than we had been in years. For however long we had left, we would face it together, side by side, just as we always should have.

A couple sharing a happy moment | Source: Midjourney

A couple sharing a happy moment | Source: Midjourney

While Damien wasn’t cheating, in the following story, Ryan’s wife thinks he’s cheating when she finds incriminating evidence in their bedroom. The evidence led her down a rabbit hole when she discovered that she couldn’t trust him anymore. Her fears were finally confirmed when she found proof of his cheating in his car. Her revenge was sweet and swift!

This work is inspired by real events and people, but it has been fictionalized for creative purposes. Names, characters, and details have been changed to protect privacy and enhance the narrative. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental and not intended by the author.

The author and publisher make no claims to the accuracy of events or the portrayal of characters and are not liable for any misinterpretation. This story is provided “as is,” and any opinions expressed are those of the characters and do not reflect the views of the author or publisher.

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