Complications from Class III Obesity Cited
Grammy-winning singer and American Idol alum Mandisa d**d from complications of class III obesity, according to an autopsy obtained by PEOPLE. She was 47 years old.
Friends found her body at her home on April 18, although the report notes she had last been seen alive about three weeks earlier. Her manner of d**th was listed as natural.
Class III obesity, as defined by the Cleveland Clinic, involves a BMI of 40 or higher, or a BMI of 35+ with related health conditions.
Her Final Years Marked by Health and Emotional Struggles
A representative confirmed Mandisa’s d**th in a statement released on April 19, asking for prayers for her family and close friends. “We do not know the cause of d**th or further details at this time,” they said.
Mandisa had openly shared her struggles with depression, weight gain, and isolation following the 2014 d**th of her best friend and backup singer, Kisha Mitchell, who d**d of breast cancer while pregnant.
“That loss shook the foundations underneath me,” she told PEOPLE in 2017. “I sank into a deep pit of depression.”
Depression and Isolation Took a Toll
In the years following her friend’s d**th, Mandisa gained over 200 pounds and withdrew from both her career and personal life. “I didn’t leave the house,” she said. “I’d sit in my recliner and watch TV all day. I only left when I got tired of pizza delivery and drove to McDonald’s.”
During this period, she battled su**idal thoughts. As a woman of faith, she admitted the temptation was deeply emotional: “I believed if I took my life, I’d be in heaven with Jesus, free from pain.”
Friends Stepped In to Save Her Life
In 2016, a rare outing to a movie theater became a turning point. When she returned to her car, she found it covered in sticky notes of encouragement from her friends: “We love you,” “We miss you,” and “Come back to us.”
That group of friends had been waiting for her, and they staged an intervention, urging her to seek counseling. “That moment saved my life,” she said. “Without it, I might not be here.”
A Comeback Through Music and Memoir
Mandisa slowly began to heal emotionally and physically, making “one healthy choice after another.” She returned to music with her 2017 album Out of the Dark, which channeled her pain into songs of hope and faith.
She later detailed her journey in a 2022 memoir titled Out of the Dark: My Journey Through the Shadows to Find God’s Joy. “When you’re in it, you feel alone,” she wrote. “But you’re never the only one.”
From American Idol to Grammy Winner
Born in Citrus Heights, California, Mandisa studied music in college before rising to fame as a contestant on Season 5 of American Idol. She finished in the top 9, alongside stars like Chris Daughtry, Kellie Pickler, and Katharine McPhee.
Her debut album True Beauty topped the Billboard Top Christian Albums chart, making her the first new female artist to do so. She went on to earn five Grammy nominations, winning in 2014 for Overcomer.
A Lasting Legacy of Faith and Resilience
Mandisa’s life was marked by honesty, vulnerability, and a deep faith that inspired many. Even in her darkest moments, she used her platform to shed light on issues like mental health, grief, and redemption.
She may be gone, but her voice—and her message of hope—continue to resonate.
