Sad Note: Legendary Actress Michelle Botes Passes Away
Sad Note: Legendary Actress Michelle Botes Passes Away. South Africa woke up to one of the most devastating news. Michelle Botes, a veteran actress who has graced our screens for years, has sadly passed away. The 63-year-old icon lost her battle with cancer on Saturday morning.
Botes has been battling advanced multiple myeloma, a rare type of blood cancer that affects the bone marrow for the past two-and-a-half years. Since her cancer diagnosis in July 2022, Botes had been living with her son, Daniel, and his wife, Nolene, in Observatory, Cape Town. She initially underwent chemotherapy and steroid treatments and later received a stem cell transplant but chose not to continue with the treatment. In an interview six weeks ago spoke about her difficult road to here. Botes stated that she decided to stop Chemo, and shared that she doesn’t identify with the cancer.
“When my friends say they can’t understand why I don’t want to continue chemotherapy, I explain that I am happy and at peace now again – more chemo, steroids and transplants may extend my lifespan slightly, but then I am constantly anxious and sick and never fully myself to enjoy life. Life is so contradictory; I am dying but everywhere in nature there are signs of new life. This gives me joy and peace,” Botes said.
Botes made her screen debut in 1976, and has bagged a number of roles on TV shows and movies. She is famously known for her role as Cherel De Villiers in Isidingo. This was such an iconic role, making her one of the best actresses as a villain. She was also known for her roles as Tannie Alet in Bakgat! II, Elzabe in Aangetroud and Ingrid Louw-Koster in Binnelander among others.
