Lauren Bennett, 'Party Rock Anthem' Singer, Died by Suicide Amid Mental Health Struggles, Inquest Finds
The inquest revealed the singer, known for her work with G.R.L. and LMFAO, was under the care of mental health services at the time of her death.
British singer Lauren Bennett, who gained international fame with LMFAO's 2011 hit "Party Rock Anthem" and was a member of the girl group G.R.L., died by suicide, an inquest has determined. Bennett, 36, was found dead in Kent on May 29.
An assistant coroner on Friday read a statement from Bennett's husband, Kenny Wormald, indicating she had been experiencing severe mental health issues prior to her death. Wormald recounted that Bennett told him she was going for a walk on the morning of her death, but did not return for several hours. After she failed to respond to calls and texts from him and other family members, Wormald and Bennett's father located her body in a rural area using her phone's tracking service.
Bennett's father, Richard Bennett, described his daughter's life as "amazing" in a statement read at the inquest. He noted that she signed a record deal at 17 and moved to the United States alone. The court was informed that pages of farewell notes were discovered at her home. The inquest also heard that Bennett had been diagnosed with Fragile X syndrome, a genetic disorder associated with anxiety, mood instability, and depression. In January preceding her death, she was hospitalized under a mental health section after not sleeping for several days and had endured "substantial psychological suffering" since that period.
At the time of her death, Bennett was receiving care from "special mental health services." Her reaction to medication had been poor, and she expressed pessimism about her recovery, the court was told. Toxicology reports confirmed that no alcohol or illicit drugs were found in her system.
Bennett's former group, G.R.L., announced her death on Instagram, stating, "Our hearts are broken, and we cannot begin to express how much she meant to us."
"Party Rock Anthem," featuring Bennett and LMFAO, became a massive global success, spending six weeks at number one on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. The music video for the song has garnered over 2.5 billion views on YouTube.