Nearly two months after her passing, the reason behind the death of Grammy-winning singer Mandisa was disclosed on Tuesday. Mandisa Lynn Hundley was discovered deceased in her home on April 18, triggering various speculations addressed by her father during the funeral, stating, “She did not harm herself.”
According to The Tennessean, the official cause of death was revealed, indicating that Mandisa succumbed to complications of class III obesity. Dr. Feng Li, a medical examiner, informed the paper that her cause of death was classified as natural. Class III obesity, as per the Cleveland Clinic, is described as a “complex chronic disease characterized by a body mass index (BMI) of 40 or higher, or a BMI of 35 or higher along with obesity-related health conditions.”3.5
At the time of her passing, Mandisa was 47 years old. She was renowned for her uplifting and positive songs like “Overcomer” and “Stronger,” which became anthems for many of her fans.
Last week, the K-Love Fan Awards featured a special tribute to Mandisa and another CCM artist, Gabe Patillo. Colton Dixon and Danny Gokey were the presenters for this tribute.
In 2022, she released a book, Out of the Dark: My Journey Through the Shadows to Find God’s Joy, where she opened up about her battle with depression. She also co-hosted the Out of the Dark podcast with Mandisa and Laura Williams. Her openness about her bouts with depression led to rumors that the cause of death was self-harm. Her father, though, rejected such rumors.
“Mandisa loved the Lord, and the Lord loved Mandisa,” John Hundley, Mandisa’s father, said during the April service at Brentwood Baptist Church in Brentwood, Tennessee.
In 2022, she told Crosswalk Headlines she wrote her book, Out of the Dark, hoping it would spark an open discussion among Christians about mental health.
“Ultimately,” she said, “Psalm 40:3 is my prayer for it. ‘As many will hear what God has done, they will be amazed and put their hope in Him.’ As people read it, it will encourage others to take steps on their mental health journey because so many of us are walking through it. And I hope it will encourage people to walk through it with God and not try to do it alone.”
Her lively demeanor and commanding vocals propelled her to a Top 9 finish in the 2006 version of American Idol, after which she found a home in contemporary Christian music. Her debut album, True Beauty, soared to No. 1 on the Billboard Christian album charts, as did her last two albums, Overcomer and Out of the Dark.
“She loved the Word and poured her heart out in worship,” said Sydni Simons, a friend who toured with Mandisa as a dancer. “She was passionate about unity, and she was intentional about diversity.”
During the funeral, author and speaker Beth Moore joked that Mandisa “hit a note so high, it gave us all a nosebleed.” Mandisa sang during the Living Proof conferences where Moore spoke.
Read the complete story on ChristianHeadlines.com.
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