American Idol Star Mandisa Found Dead At 47, Police Investigation Underway

MANDISA, the Grammy Award-winning singer who made headlines as a contestant on season 5 of American Idol, passed away on April 18. She was 47.

“We can confirm that yesterday Mandisa was found in her home deceased,” Mandisa’s representative told PEOPLE in a statement. “At this time we do not know the cause of death or any further details. We ask for your prayers for her family and close knit circle of friends during this incredibly difficult time.”

Mandisa- who was born and raised in California – studied music in college before she gave her audition for American Idol in 2005.

She amassed national attention by participating in the reality competition show’s fifth season and made it the top 10.

Mandisa was often lauded by judges Simon Cowell, Paula Abdul and Randy Jackson for her impeccab;le performances. Mandisa – who was eliminated in the top 9 – forgave Cowell after he mocked her weight.

In 2007, she released her debut album, True Beauty. The LP debuted at No. 1 on the Top Christian Albums charts.

She also released her memoir Out of the Dark: My Journey Through the Shadows to Find God’s Joy in 2022 delved deeper into her experience with depression and anxiety after she lost her close friend to cancer. “When she passed away, it shook the foundations underneath me. I sank into a deep pit of depression. I turned back to my old ways, which is food,” Mandisa told PEOPLE in 2017.