Chino XL’s Cause Of Death Revealed In New Statement From His Family
Chino XL died on July 28 at age 50 and his family revealed his cause of death in a new statement shared on Monday, Sept. 30.
It was confirmed that the rapper-actor, born Derek Keith Barbosa, died by suicide.
“It’s been the most painful and personal experience of our lives but in honor of Suicide Awareness Month, we decided to share this truth,” his family shared in a statement to PEOPLE.
The Ventura County Medical Examiner’s office listed Barbosa’s official cause of death as asphyxia as a result of ligature hanging, according to the statement. The family also shared that the proclaimed “Lyrical Messiah” was diagnosed with congenital heart failure in 2020 and stage 4 prostate cancer earlier this year. He also struggled with life-long depression.
The family additionally addressed false reports about a release date for a posthumous album that was leaked.
“An unscrupulous individual illegally leaked Dad’s new album online,” the family shared. “To add to this excruciating time, this man’s contemptuous actions, have hurt what was originally Dad’s intended December album release, where a considerable portion of the proceeds were to be donated to charitable organizations.”
The family has obtained litigation counsel and is pursuing legal action against this person.
His daughters described their father as “our rock and our best friend” in the statement. “Papa Bear loved us and taught us so much,” they added. “Hundreds of emails, texts, chats and beautiful posts and comments on social media, have shown us that Dad was a fountain of strength to so many. He encouraged and comforted pretty much everyone in his path and left this dimension with an untouchable creative legacy. We are grateful beyond words for our time with Dad and are overwhelmed by the immeasurable global outpouring of love from around the world.”
Following his death, they expressed, “Our father had many titles — King of Punchlines, Puerto Rican Superhero — but the most important one was Girl Dad and what he gave us most in that role was his strength, straightforwardness, and ability to be super realistic. The main thing we are feeling now is that our Dad is at peace, and so we are at peace.”
Barbosa is survived by his children: Chynna, Bella, Lyric and Kiyana; his stepson Shawn; grandchildren Emmy, Emery, Chris, Luis and Dyani; his mother, Carole; and his former longtime partner Stephanie.
If you or someone you know is considering suicide or experiencing suicidal ideation, please contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255), text “STRENGTH” to the Crisis Text Line at 741-741 or visit suicidepreventionlifeline.org.
More from VIBE.com
Sign up for Vibe's Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.