Diahann Carroll Leaves Behind One Daughter, Writer And Documentary Producer Suzanne Kay
Dynasty and Julia star Diahann Carroll has died at the age of 84, as The Inquisitr reported. Carroll enjoyed an impressive career in the entertainment industry, and so did Carroll’s daughter Suzanne Kay. She is now 59-years-old, and has forged her own way into creating an impressive career in public life as well.
From among her mom’s four marriages, Suzanne is Diahann’s only child. She was born in 1960, during Carroll’s first marriage to Monte Kay. Suzanne grew up being comfortable with the entertainment business, as her father had been a record producer and agent and her mother had worked steadily as an actress throughout Kay’s childhood.
Kay went on to attend Columbia University, receiving a master’s degree in journalism. Kay interned on the PBS show McNeil-Lehr News and later was a news writer for CNN. Diahann’s daughter was also an editor for Essence Magazine.
After focusing on serious news, Kay later became an on-air personality for ETV!, working with Julie Moran and Greg Kinnear. Suzanne wrote sitcom scripts for Fox, produced and co-wrote a project titled Hero, and started a production company named Wonder View Films.
As the Suzanne Kay website details, Diahann’s daughter produced a documentary about Ed Sullivan and his work in combating racial injustice. Her site notes that she has also been a writing consultant for a social justice organization created by Harry Belafonte.
Kay was married to writer Mark Bamford from 1996 until 2016. The couple had two children during their marriage, a son and a daughter, who seem to be named August and Sydney. Both of Suzanne and Mark’s kids appear to currently be in their teens and attending high school.
According to Afrocentric News, Kay and Bamford wrote Hero together. They visited Cape Town, South Africa, together as they were promoting the film, and they loved the area so much that they decided to move there. While living in South Africa, they did volunteer work and wrote Cape of Good Hope together.
Suzanne remained close to both her mother and her father, Monte, as she grew up. Monte died in 1998, but Kay has honored him — and her love for him — via her Instagram page over the years.
Kay has had her Instagram page for a couple of years, but she only joined Twitter in late June. Her bio describes her as being a mother, filmmaker, and writer, and also elucidates that she has a passion for helping people talk about feminism and race.
Suzanne Kay confirmed Diahann Carroll’s death on Friday. The two women were clearly quite close throughout the decades they had together, and Carroll was said to be a loving, doting grandmother.
