'She did not harm herself': 'American Idol' alum Mandisa's dad shares theory about daughter's death

If you or someone you know is considering suicide, please contact the National Suicide Hotline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255).

NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE: Former 'American Idol' candidate Mandisa Hundley was found dead in her residence on April 18; now, her father John Hundley has expressed his thoughts regarding how his daughter died.

The 47-year-old singer was found dead inside a house on Beamon Drive on April 18, per Franklin Police. A medical examiner later identified her.

A spokesman for the Grammy Award-winning singer released a statement following her death, "We can confirm that yesterday Mandisa was found in her home deceased," per PEOPLE.

Mandisa's dad claims COVID-19 battle might be cause of death

During Mandisa's Celebration of Life service on April 27, John Hundley addressed the crowd gathered at Nashville's Brentwood Baptist Church and said the singer's struggle with COVID-19 was most likely the cause of her death.

"But here’s what I think happened. 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," John said, per the Christian Post.

John asserted that there was "no way" for Mandisa to walk around the bed and "call for help," and that he discovered his daughter's phone on the "right side" of her bed.

He remarked, "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."

John continued to emphasize Mandisa's love for God and said, "She did not harm herself. 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," he added.

John Hundley convinced Mandisa 'did not harm herself'

John additionally attested to the fact that Mandisa was not hurting herself and that her body had no such marks.

"I believe firmly that the detective believes and knows that she did not [harm herself]," he stated in an interview with Fox News Digital, per Daily Mail.

John added, "They talked about the scars, any type of bruises that may have been on her body. They looked for signs that she may have harmed herself, and there were no signs to indicate that she did anything to harm herself."

The singer became famous following her stint on 'American Idol' in 2006. She participated in the fifth season of the show and finished in ninth place.

Chief media officer David Pierce of Christian rock radio station 'K-Love' released a statement saying Mandisa's struggles were finally "over" following the announcement of her death.

"Mandisa struggled, and she was vulnerable enough to share that with us, which helped us talk about our own struggles," he said, per Page Six.

"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."

Mandisa opened up about being raped as a teenager and her mental health struggles in her 2022 memoir, 'Out of the Dark: My Journey Through the Shadows to Find God’s Joy'.

She had even contemplated killing herself at one point, but her friends prevented her and made her attend therapy.