Spike Lee paid tribute to director Melvin Van Peebles following his death aged 89: 'Damn, we have lost another giant'

• Melvin Van Peebles died on September 21. He was 89.
• In an Instagram post, Spike Lee said: "Damn, we have lost another giant!"
• He said Van Peebles "brought independent Black cinema to the forefront."

Spike Lee has paid tribute to the actor, director, and writer Melvin Van Peebles after his death earlier this week.

Van Peebles died at home on September 21. He was 89. He called himself the "the Rosa Parks of the industry," and, through works like "Sweet Sweetback's Baadasssss Song" and "Watermelon Man," gave Black actors leading roles.

In a Thursday Instagram post, Lee wrote that Peebles "brought independent Black cinema to the forefront" and said "Damn, we have lost another giant!"

A statement from Peebles family said he had an "unparalleled career distinguished by relentless innovation, boundless curiosity and spiritual empathy," and that he "made an indelible mark on the international cultural landscape through his films, novels, plays and music."

No cause of death has been given.