The cause of death for the beloved Christian singer Mandisa has been revealed.
The 47-year-old artist died from complications from what’s known as Class III obesity, according to the autopsy report obtained by People magazine.
Class III obesity includes a high body mass index and one or more obesity-related health conditions.
The report listed her cause of death as natural. Some friends had found her dead at her home in Nashville on April 18. Apparently, no one had heard from her for three weeks at that point.
READ: Mandisa’s Dad Says No Signs of Self-Harm – Here’s What He Thinks Happened
Mandisa was an audience favorite on American Idol before becoming a major success with her Christian music.
After she advanced to the top nine on the fifth season of the competition, she released her debut album, “True Beauty,” in 2007. It would go on to hit the No. 1 spot on the Billboard Top Christian Albums chart, making her the first Christian artist to achieve that feat.
The Grammy-winning artist soon became known for her uplifting hits like “Good Morning” and “Overcomer.” Throughout her career, she collaborated with top Christian performers like TobyMac, Matthew West, Michael W. Smith, Kirk Franklin, and Jordan Feliz.
Many of her family, friends, and fans pointed to Mandisa’s dynamic personality.
“Whatever she did, she did it with every molecule she had,” said prominent Christian leader Beth Moore during a celebration of life service for the singer in April.
But the California native struggled with depression and anxiety outside of the limelight.
She told CBN’s Faithwire that the sudden death of a close friend back in 2014 had hit her hard and that is when things began to spiral out of control.
“I kept it all inside,” she reflected in 2022. “Before I knew it, I was miserable and hopeless. I didn’t want to be around anybody. I stayed in my house for two years, essentially, just eating and getting worse and worse.”
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Mandisa said it was a “slow fade” that led her to contemplate ending her life.
“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,” she recalled. “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.'”
Mandisa shared that even in the midst of her struggle she saw God’s faithfulness telling PEOPLE that a rare movie outing in 2016 had been a pivotal moment for her.
“When I left the movie theater, I saw my car: It had a bunch of sticky notes all over it. The notes said things like ‘We love you’ and ‘We miss you’ and ‘Come back to us,'” she said.
“As I walked closer to my car, I realized a bunch of my friends had been sitting there waiting for me. They insisted that I get counseling, and that is what helped me finally start dealing with my grief. If that hadn’t happened, I probably wouldn’t be here today,” added Mandisa.
The singer-songwriter faithfully began her journey to heal her mental health and also her body.
“I’m making one healthy choice after another to, one pound at a time,” she said.
During her celebration of life service, Mandisa’s father reassured attendees that her untimely death was not a result of her harming herself.
“She did not harm herself,” John Hundley stressed. “Mandisa loved the Lord and the Lord loved Mandisa.”