Most of us know the beautiful Free Marie from the show “106th & Park,” which featured music videos. I know I do…In the early 2000s, she was the only reason I knew what “106th and Park” was. During that time, Free and her “106th” co-host, A.J. Calloway, gave BET a more down-to-earth feel with their friendly personalities and flair. Then, out of nowhere, Free quit, leaving many of her fans asking where she had gone.
Well, that was then…Now, Free is still out there doing her thing. She has hosted a TV show, a radio show, many events, and given her celebrity status to many causes that help women, minority men in jail, breast cancer awareness, voting rights, and more…
While Free was doing her thing, she took a moment to drop a surprise on her fans that had flown under the radar for a while…We caught it, though. She said that she has a famous female cousin who we all know, at least if we are fans of Old School movies and TV shows. Her talented cousin got her start in the 1980s and has been making a name for herself in movies and TV ever since. Check out who she is…
WHO IS FREE’S FAMOUS CUZ’?
Bam!!! Vanessa A. Williams, who used to be on the TV show “Soul Food,” is Free’s cousin.or “Ms. Rockabye baby!” from the famous movie “New Jack City,” which is how many of us first heard of her. Who would have thought it?
After Free shared the following message on Instagram about her cousin, Vanessa and Free both said it was true:
“Congratulations to my friend @nessawilliams1, who is the newest cast member on @nbcdays @nbctv’s #DaysofOurLives!!! Catch that #blackgirlmagic #itworks #family #vanessawilliams #wait are you going to do love scenes? I told Aunt Carolyn, “I love you, Keisha, and good night, baby.”
She then had a short conversation with Vanessa in the area below her post for comments…
Fans were shocked, and one pointed out that Free, who is now 52, and Vanessa, who is now 57, are both getting older in a beautiful way, which didn’t go ignored by Free. She thanked the person who had said that, and she said that the strong genes in their family were to blame for their beauty.
By the way, in case you didn’t see the caption Free put on her IG post about her cousin (which has since been deleted), Vanessa’s new job is on the long-running soap opera “Days of Our Lives.” It’s always great to see an artist from back in the day still doing what they love to do to support their family. Free and Vanessa, keep doing what you’re doing—we love it!