Lynette Hardaway, Diamond of Diamond and Silk, dies at age 51
Lynette Hardaway, better known as Diamond of the conservative duo "Diamond and Silk," has died, their social media accounts said Monday. She was 51.
Diamond was a political commentator and vlogger who worked with her sister, Rochelle Richardson, who went by the name Silk. The pair became known for their ardent support of former President Donald Trump. The former president said in a post on his social media site Truth Social that her death is "really bad news" for "ALL Americans."
"Our beautiful Diamond, of Diamond and Silk, has just passed away at her home in the State she loved so much, North Carolina," Trump wrote, adding that her death was "totally unexpected."
A cause of death for Diamond was not given. In November 2022, Diamond and Silk posted on Twitter, "Anyone who believes in the power of prayer please pray for Diamond."
Diamond and Silk's Facebook page paid tribute to Diamond, calling her a "True Angel and Warrior Patriot for Freedom, Love, and Humanity."
Several Republican lawmakers also commented on Diamond's death.
Florida Rep. Matt Gaetz called it "very sad news," while Colorado Rep. Lauren Boebert said Diamond was a "wonderful person."
According to Diamond and Silk's book, "Uprising: Who the Hell Said You Can't Ditch and Switch?" Diamond was born on Thanksgiving 1971, and Silk was born earlier that same year in January. They built a platform around their Trump fandom, calling themselves the former president's "most outspoken and loyal supporters." The duo also testified under oath in 2018 about alleged filtering practices on social media platforms. In 2020, Diamond and Silk worked as contributors for Fox News until they were let go by the news organization following COVID misinformation posts, Deadline reported.