Source : PERTHNOW NEWS
Lauren Bennett died by suicide after telling her husband she was going for a walk, an inquest has found.
The singer, who famously appeared on LMFAO’s 2011 hit track Party Rock Anthem, died on May 29 at the age of 36, after being found by her husband, dancer and Footloose actor Kenny Wormald, and her dad Richard near her home in Meopham, Kent, South East England.
Kent and Medway Coroners’ Court heard on Friday (30.10.26) how Lauren told her husband she was going for a walk at around 9am, but when the star failed to return home, Kenny and Richard tracked her location using Find My and later discovered her body in nearby woodland.
Assistant coroner Jyoti Gill found that the G.R.L. band member died by suicide.
She added that Lauren was receiving care from “special mental health services” at the time of her death and had experienced “substantial psychological suffering” since being sectioned four months before her death.
Ms Gill noted that the entertainer “continued to report symptoms of distress regarding the effects of the prescribed medication” and had a meeting with mental health services just days before her death.
In a statement read out by the coroner, Richard said Lauren lived an “amazing life” and had a “very special gift” from a young age, having started singing at 12 before going on to sign a record deal at 17 and relocating to the US.
He added: “Watching her grow into the artist she became was one of the greatest joys of my life.
“Her achievements in the music industry were beyond our wildest dreams and continue to make me so proud.”
Richard noted that the family “rallied around her” following a “severe reaction” to the prescribed medication.
He also accused mental health services of “failing to treat her appropriately during her time of greatest need”.
Following her death, Lauren’s G.R.L. bandmates paid an emotional tribute, remembering her “beautiful spirit” and the lasting impact she had on those closest to her.
Taking to social media, Emmalyn Estrada, 34, Natasha Slayton, 38, and Paula Van Oppen, 37, said: “It is with great sadness that we share the passing of our beloved Lauren.
“Our hearts are broken, and we cannot begin to express how much she meant to us. We will forever cherish the love, laughter, and countless memories she gave us.
“Her beautiful spirit touched so many lives, and she will be deeply missed and forever loved.
“Rest peacefully, sweet Lauren. You will always be in our hearts. Your GRLS, Em, Tash, and P.”
Lauren rose to prominence through her collaboration with LMFAO on the 2011 global hit Party Rock Anthem before joining G.R.L., the girl group created by choreographer Robin Antin as a successor to the Pussycat Dolls.
Alongside Emmalyn, Natasha, Paula and their late bandmate Simone Battle, who died by suicide in September 2014 at the age of 25, Lauren helped establish the group with singles including Ugly Heart and Lighthouse.
She is survived by her six-year-old daughter, Harlow, whom she had with Kenny.
