Keyshia Cole’s Mom Frankie Lons’ Cause of Death Revealed

R&B singer Keyshia Cole and her family now have concrete answers regarding her beloved mother, Frankie Lons’, death. TMZ reports that The Alameda County Coroner’s Office has ruled Lons’ death was brought on from multiple drug intoxication. The report notes that Lons died of an accidental overdose. Lons died on her 61st birthday after decades of struggling with addiction.

Lons’ addiction has been long documented. Cole fans first met Lons when she began appearing on Cole’s BET reality series The Way It Is. Cole and Lons had been estranged, practically since birth, as Cole was adopted by a family friend when she was just a child. Cole later learned that she was adopted after coming across some government paperwork and began the search for Lons to establish a bond, learn her roots, and get acquainted with her siblings.

Cole’s brother Sam told TMZ in July that Lons overdosed at her Oakland home while celebrating with friends and family. Lons reportedly took drugs while partying, relapsing after struggling to stay sober. Cole has been open prior about being estranged from Lons due to being fed up with her addiction. Still, she never gave up on Lons and often posted updates about Lons’ sobriety to her social media accounts. At the time of Lons’ death, Sam told the media outlet that he was in daily communication with his mother, constantly encouraging her to stay sober. 

Lons also appeared on BET’s Keyshia Cole My New Life and had her own show with her eldest daughter Nefeteria on BET titled Frankie & Neffie. Many of Cole’s celebrity friends and fans paid tribute to Lons in the wake of her passing, sending love, condolences, and remembering Lons for her free spirit and funny one-liners.

Cole and her family laid Lons to rest about a month after Lons’ death. The ‘Just Like You’ singer shared videos and photos of the family releasing doves outside of the church where Lons’ funeral was held on her Instagram account. She also shared a touching tribute, writing, “We will miss you. I tried to spend as much time close to her as I could, in that church. When we got to the mausoleum, I asked if I could see her one last time, I know her spirit was no longer there in the physical, I just hope she was able to see that we came together in celebration of her name, the laughs, love, and honesty she brought to this world…I’ve internalized a lot as of recent. The love is real Frank Da (bank emoji).”