The granddaughter of Hollywood actor Morgan Freeman has been fatally stabbed in New York City, according to police.

E’dena Hines, 33, was killed early on Sunday morning (local time) in the Harlem area of the city.

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“The world will never know her artistry and talent, and how much she had to offer,” Freeman, 78, said in a statement to E! News. 

Hines was at the beginning of a burgeoning acting career. Photo: T Charles Erickson/edena-hines.squarespace.com

“Her friends and family were fortunate enough to have known what she meant as a person.

“Her star will continue to shine bright in our hearts, thoughts and prayers. May she rest in peace.”

His grandaughter was found on the street with multiple stab wounds to her torso and taken to hospital, according to a NYPD official who spoke to E! News. 

Ms Hines was taken to hospital but pronounced dead soon after. A 30-year-old man was detained at the scene and then taken to a medical centre.

Freeman was not related to Ms Hines by blood. She was the granddaughter of his first wife Jeannette Bradshaw, whom he divorced in 1979. But Freeman always referred to her as his granddaughter, his publicist told US media.

Ms Hines accompanied Freeman to the Golden Globe Awards in 2005.

She was a former student of New York University’s acting program and worked with at-risk youth in Tennessee before returning to New York City for a role in an indie movie.

“My dream has come true and it’s just beginning,” she wrote on her website.