‘The Voice’ Alum Lauren Duski’s Mom Dies by Suicide

The Voice Season 12 runner-up Lauren Duski is mourning the death of her mother Janis Duski. In an emotional tribute shared to Instagram Tuesday, Duski revealed that her mother passed away at the age of 59 on Friday, Jan, 5, with the country singer seeming to allude to her dying by suicide.

“Said goodbye to my best friend and hero this past Friday,” Duski began the heartbreaking post. “My mom was the greatest human I’ve ever known. There was no one who loved harder. She offered her entire being – heart and soul to everyone she encountered and always held up the mirror to remind you of how wonderful and special you were. She set the bar above the moon.”

The Voice alum went on to say that her mother “adored her family and her grandchildren,” remembering her as “an endless dreamer. brilliant. an absolute powerhouse.” Duski also listed some of her mother’s many achievements: “Top of her class AND president in dental school. Served as a captain in the United States Air Force. She pioneered the Wolverine Patriot Project alongside the University of Michigan School of Dentistry and made it her mission to provide oral health care to disabled and homeless Michigan military veterans.” She also revealed that they called Janis “Yoda” for her “endless wisdom, energy, wit, and humor. She was selfless in every way. She never quit. Especially with a fishing pole in her hand.She loved to spend time exploring and road tripping across country with just a road map.”

“Mom, you are infinitely loved. I will miss you every second of every day,” she continued. “I still don’t know how the hell I’m supposed to do this without you. I will thank God every day for our 32 years together and see you every time I look in that mirror.”

According to TMZ, which first reported the news, the Tuscarora Township Police in Indian River, Michigan, said Janis was dead in her car with a gunshot wound in what is believed to have been an apparent suicide. A handgun was also discovered in the car. Officers reportedly found a vehicle “sitting on the edge of the roadway with a female in the driver’s seat slumped over.” Responding paramedics were unable to find a pulse when they arrived. In her Tuesday post, Duski seemed to allude to her mother’s cause of death, writing that she “wasn’t planning on sharing this but these last few days I’ve been feeling the most violent pull in my heart to remind you to please talk to one another.”

“If you’re struggling, do not be ashamed. Do not be ashamed. Do not be ashamed. Your mental health is nothing to be ashamed of and neither is talking about it,” she wrote. “We are all trying to navigate this beautiful, messy life. I’ve learned that even the strongest humans have a breaking point.”

Duski concluded the post by encouraging readers to “save a generation and beyond” and “say ‘I love you’ every chance you get. Don’t wait. You never know the true impact you have on those around you.”

If you or someone you know is in crisis, please call or text 988 to reach the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline. The previous Lifeline phone number (1-800-273-8255) will always remain available.