'American Idol' Singer Mandisa's Cause of Death Released

Mandisa's cause of death is listed as complications of class III obesity.

By Stephen Andrew

Almost two months after her death, American Idol singer Mandisa's cause of death has been released. According to an autopsy report, obtained by PEOPLE, the Grammy-winning singer died of complications of class III obesity. She was 47.

Per details of the autopsy report, some friends of Mandisa found her dead in her home on April 18. She "was last known alive approximately three weeks" earlier. The singer's manner of death is listed as "natural." The Cleveland Clinic defines Class III obesity as a disease in which a person "has a body mass index (BMI) of 40 or higher or a BMI of 35 or higher and is experiencing obesity-related health conditions."

Following her death, the American Idol alum's father, John Hundley, confirmed her death to TMZ, who stated that it was "a total shock to the family." The outlet added that they were told Mandisa had "no known health issues prior to her passing."

Later, during a memorial service for his daughter, Hundley stated that Mandisa had been recovering from COVID-19  and was feeling "weak" before she died. "What I think happened," he said, is that "Mandisa fell down in her bedroom." Hundley continued, "They found her on the floor. If you look from the rear of her bed, she was laying on the left side. It's clear that's where she was laying, there was a couple of big rugs there and some clothes."

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Hundley went on to share that he found his daughter's phone "on the right side of the bed," and he feels it would not have been possible "for Mandisa to get around the bed, go out there and get a phone to call for help."

Originally from California, Mandisa moved to Tennessee in the early 2000s for college, and eventually auditioned for American Idol in 2005. The following year, she made it to the top 9 before being eliminated. Afterward, Mandisa went on to start a career in Gospel music, working with artists like Kirk Franklin and TobyMac. In 2014 she won a Grammy for her fifth studio album, Overcomer.

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