Mandisa's passing shocked both American Idol fans and gospel music fans. Now, her father is opening up about the late singer's final moments.
Speaking at his daughter's memorial service at Brentwood Baptist Church, John Hundley said he's learned new information about her passing. He said that authorities still aren't ready to release the exact cause of death, but he had more insight into her final moments.
"But here's what I think happened," he said. "Mandisa fell down in her bedroom. 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. On the right side of the bed, front, was this nightstand. I found her phone on the right side of the bed. There was no way for Mandisa to get around the bed, go out there and get a phone to call for help."
Additionally, Mandisa's father insisted that his daughter didn't die from suicide. He said that she had been struggling in the past few days from illness and was recovering at the time of her passing.
Mandisa's Father Says Singer Battled Illness
"She did not harm herself," he also stressed. "As she said, Mandisa loved the Lord and the Lord loved Mandisa. So there's one thing you may not have known. She told me some time ago that she had gotten COVID-19 and she had been weak trying to get over that. But she was trying to press through. We talked so much on Easter morning, but I thought she was going to this conference, and so I had not called her recently but I've talked to her a lot. May she rest in peace now."
Police don't believe that foul play is involved in Mandisa's passing. Also, American Idol plans to honor the late singer with a special tribute on Monday's episode. The community has been saddened by her passing.
"Mandisa loved Jesus, and she used her unusually extensive platform to talk about Him at every turn. Her kindness was epic, her smile electric, her voice massive, but it was no match for the size of her heart," said David Pierce, K-LOVE Chief Media Officer. "Mandisa struggled, and she was vulnerable enough to share that with us, which helped us talk about our own struggles. Mandisa's struggles are over. She is with the God she sang about now. While we are saddened, Mandisa is home. We're praying for Mandisa's family and friends and ask you to join us."
