‘The Voice’: Miley Cyrus in Tears During Janice Freeman Memorial Service

Miley Cyrus delivered an emotional eulogy to the late The Voice contestant Janice Freeman during a memorial service Monday at Mariners Church in Irvine, California.

Freeman died suddenly on March 2 at 33. Her representatives said the cause of death was an “extreme case of pneumonia and a blood clot that traveled to her heart.”

The singer appeared on The Voice Season 13 and competed in Cyrus’ team, making it to the Top 11. During her speech at Freeman’s Celebration of Life, Cyrus said, “I was never her coach, ever. She was always mine.”

Cyrus went on to discuss how much she learned from working with Freeman and the relationship they built.

“I’ve learned more from her than anyone that I’ve ever gotten the honor to be in the room with, not just vocally, I should’ve gotten more lessons than I did, but she taught me everything that I know about love,” Cyrus said, reports TMZ.

“And, to be here, and I had planned on singing a song for her, but just losing her is just too much for me,” she continued tearfully. “So … my dad’s gonna take care of this for me. But, I’ll always be your sister, I’m here for you, and I’m here for your family, and Janice I’ll miss you more than I could ever say.”

Cyrus was then joined by her father, Billy Ray Cyrus, to perform a song in tribute to Freeman.

After Freeman’s death, Cyrus, 26, shared a photo of a rainbow on Instagram. “Thank you, Janice Freeman … for everything. This represents you perfectly,” she wrote.

Cyrus also vowed to help Freeman’s family in an emotional tweet on March 4.

“To hug you one more time @janice_freeman …. I made a promise to you here on earth and will keep that promise as you watch from heaven. To take care of your precious little girl , my baby sister,” she wrote. “To shine light on your husband and mother when days are dark! I love you.”

Freeman and Cyrus built a strong relationship outside the show. Last year, Freeman announced on Instagram that Cyrus helped her out financially when she was searching for a new home.

“I’m so overwhelmed,” Freeman said in the emotional video. “I need y’all to understand that it is time to go into 2018 believing God for real… Y’all don’t understand that you see these people on TV. You see things happening and all of that. But you don’t understand that these people are real. And her heart is so huge. And she allows God to use her to bless my life.”

Cyrus was not the only member of The Voice family to remember Freeman. NBC aired an in memoriam card after the first episode following Freeman’s death.

“[Janice Freeman] the voice of hers we got to hear and the bit of life we got to watch her live was a blessing and inspiration to us all! My heart and prayers go out to [Freeman’s] daughter and family,” Jennifer Hudson, another former Voice coach, wrote on Instagram, including the hashtag “RIP Janice Freeman.”

The Voice airs Mondays at 8 p.m. ET on NBC.

Photo credit: NBC