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Pop Culture and Fashion Writer Erica Kennedy Dead At 42

MIAMI BEACH (CBSMiami) - Well known for her New York Times Bestseller, Bling, Erica Kennedy was respected in the entertainment and fashion communities. On Monday, police confirmed Kennedy's death after her body was found in her Miami Beach apartment last week. She was 42.

Bling was regarded by many as a guide to what really goes on in the Hip Hop industry and was in works to be made into a film. She released her follow up novel, Feminista, in 2009.

Kennedy was a former fashion publicist and began her writing career as a special correspondent for the New York Daily News. She went on to write about fashion and entertainment for magazines such as Vibe, In Style, and Elle UK.

This graduate of Oxford University breathed fashion. The former PR rep for Tommy Hilfiger, once boasted that she was the first person to get Sean 'P Diddy' Combs into a suit.

She was close friends with Kimora Lee and Russell Simons, and was the godmother of their two daughters, Ming Lee and Aoki Lee. Kimora took to Twitter to express her grief stating that she was devastated.

She inspired many writers including, Demetria L. Lucas of Clutch Magazine who wrote a tribute piece to her on Monday.

Her death took many in the fashion, journalism and PR worlds by surprise.

The cause of her death has not been released.

(TM and © Copyright 2012 CBS Radio Inc. and its relevant subsidiaries. CBS RADIO and EYE Logo TM and Copyright 2012 CBS Broadcasting Inc. Used under license. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)

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