Mandisa’s Cause of Death Revealed after Grammy-Winning Christian Singer Died at 47

Seven weeks faraway from her passing, the reason behind death of Grammy-winning singer Mandisa was revealed Tuesday. Mandisa Lynn Hundley was found dead in her home on April 18, sparking a flurry of rumors that her father addressed throughout the funeral by telling the audience, “She didn’t harm herself.” On Tuesday, the official reason behind death was released, revealing that Mandisa died from complications of sophistication III obesity, The Tennessean reported. Dr. Feng Li, a health worker, told the paper that her reason behind death was listed as natural. Class III obesity, in response to the Cleveland Clinic, is a “complex chronic disease by which an individual has a body mass index (BMI) of 40 or higher or a BMI of 35 or higher and is experiencing obesity-related health conditions.”

When she died, Mandisa was 47. She was known for positive, upbeat songs comparable to Overcomer and Stronger, which became life anthems for her fans. 

The K-Love Fan Awards aired a special tribute to her and one other CCM artist, Gabe Patillo, last week. Colton Dixon and Danny Gokey introduced the 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 reason behind 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 throughout 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 will spark an open discussion amongst Christians about mental health. 

“Ultimately,” she said, “Psalm 40:3 is my prayer for it. ‘As many will hear what God has done, they shall be amazed and put their hope in Him.’ As people read it, it’ll encourage others to take steps on their mental health journey because so lots of us are walking through it. And I hope it’ll encourage people to walk through it with God and never attempt to do it alone.”

Her vigorous demeanor and commanding vocals propelled her to a Top 9 finish within the 2006 version of American Idol, after which she found a house 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 obsessed with unity, and he or she was intentional about diversity.”

During the funeral, creator and speaker Beth Moore joked that Mandisa “hit a note so high, it gave us all a nosebleed.” Mandisa sang throughout the Living Proof conferences where Moore spoke. 

“Every word, whether sung or spoken, hit a resonant chord along with her audience, and he or she loved Jesus in a way that made everyone round her wish to love Him,” Moore said. “… We saw her life and her love for Jesus. We witnessed her worship when nobody was looking. We would see her at the back of an events center or a sanctuary, dancing before the Lord.”

Her father said his favorite song by his daughter was Bleed the Same. The lyrics, he said, “are asking you and me, all Americans, to return together in unity and get along.”

Mandisa won a Grammy for Best Contemporary Christian Music Album for Overcomer.

Related: 4 Things Mandisa Reveals about Her Battle with Depression in Her Book, ‘Out of the Dark’

Photo Credit: ©KLove Books

Michael Foust has covered the intersection of religion and news for 20 years. His stories have appeared in Baptist Press, Christianity Today, The Christian Post, the Leaf-Chronicle, the Toronto Star and the Knoxville News-Sentinel.