‘The Voice’ Contestant Janice Freeman Dies at 33
UPDATED: Janice Freeman, a popular contestant from season 13 of “The Voice,” has died in Pasadena, Calif. from an extreme case of pneumonia, which caused a blood clot to travel to her heart. She was 33.
Freeman had suffered from health issues in the past, including lupus, meningitis and cervical cancer, which she had beaten. According to a post on her official Facebook page, Freeman began experiencing trouble breathing while at home Saturday with her husband Dion. He performed CPR until paramedics arrived, but she died at the hospital later that day.
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While on the show, Freeman was one of judge Miley Cyrus’ favorites and was on her team, making it to the top 11. The pair remained friends after the show, and in 2017, Cyrus paid Freeman’s rent for six months when she was experiencing financial difficulty.
Cyrus posted a tribute to Freeman Sunday, captioning a picture of a rainbow on her Instagram story with, “Thank you @janicefreeman…for everything. This represents you perfectly.”
Freeman’s friend Crystal Lewis, also a gospel singer, remembered Freeman on Instagram, writing, “We only met in person one time but we continued to communicate and I have to say few people IN MY WHOLE LIFE were as encouraging. As authentic. As real. As breathtakingly beautiful.”
Freeman’s blind audition for “The Voice” saw her perform a rendition of Imagine Dragons’ “Radioactive,” which turned Jennifer Hudson and Cyrus’ chairs. Freeman was eliminated after falling into the Bottom Two and not receiving enough Instant Save votes to stay.
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