Gone Too Soon: ‘Queen Of Katwe’ Stars Mourn Young Actress Nikita Waligwa

Source: Justin Tallis / AFP Via Getty / Getty

Young ‘Queen Of Katwe’ Actress Nikita Waligwa Dies Following Battle With Brain Cancer

This is so sad. Over the weekend Lupita Nyong’o and David Oyelowo took to Instagram to mourn their young co-star Nikita Pearl Waligwa, who played Gloria in their 2016 film ‘Queen of Katwe’.

It is with great sadness that I post about the passing of Nikita Waligwa, the sweet, warm, talented girl whom I worked with on the film, Queen Of Katwe. She played Gloria with such vibrancy. In her real life she had the enormous challenge of battling brain cancer. My thoughts and prayers are with her family and community as they come to terms with having to say goodbye so soon. May she truly rest in piece. May it be well with her soul.

We mourn the loss of our beautiful Nikita Pearl Waligwa. She was a ball of light in @queenofkatwemovie and in life. Her battle with a brain tumor was humbling to witness. Her light will live on. 💔#rip

So sad. Our love and prayers go out to her loved ones. She leaves behind such a beautiful legacy in the inspirational role that she played.