How Did Mandisa Die? ‘American Idol’ Season 5 Finalist Passed Away in 2004
American Idol will be reuniting stars from season five in the May 4, 2026 episode, but one finalist who sadly won’t be there is Mandisa.
The gospel singer, who came in ninth place on season 5, tragically passed away in 2024.
After being eliminated from Idol in 2006, she went on to release her debut album True Beauty in 2007. The album debuted at No. 1 on the Top Christian Album charts, an historic achievement that made Mandisa the first new female artist ever to debut on the top of the chart’s 27-year history.
She went on to release five more albums and in 2014, Mandisa won the Grammy for Best Contemporary Christian Music Album for her album Overcomer.
What was Mandisa’s cause of death?
Mandisa died in April 2024 at the age of 47.
“We can confirm that yesterday Mandisa was found in her home deceased,” a rep for Mandisa said at the time of her death. “At this time we do not know the cause of death or any further details. We ask for your prayers for her family and close knit circle of friends during this incredibly difficult time.”
It was later reported by People that she “was last known alive approximately three weeks” before being found and TMZ noted that her body was already in a state of decomposition when she was found.
Mandisa died from “complications of class III obesity,” the medical examiner wrote on the autopsy report. She was 488 pounds at the time of her death.
While Mandisa has been open in the past about having suicidal thoughts, there was no self-harm attributed to her death. In 2017, she opened up to People that she considered suicide following the death of a close friend.
“I was so miserable; I felt so hopeless. I am a woman of faith, and I believe that heaven is real, and when I do leave here, I’m going to be in heaven with Jesus. One of the things I started hearing during that dark period was: ‘You’re in so much pain. If you take your life, you could be in heaven right now with Jesus.’”
Our thoughts continue to be with Mandisa‘s loved ones. RIP.
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