Miley Cyrus Pays Tribute to Janice Freeman: 'I Will Never Forget You or Stop Loving You'
Miley Cyrus said it herself: nothing breaks like a heart.
Following the death of The Voice contestant Janice Freeman, who died Saturday of complications from pneumonia and a blood clot at age 33, the “Malibu” singer remembered the superstar Team Miley standout, who “found the good in everything.”
“I miss you so much it hurts. Everywhere ….. but so did you. So often. So much pain and no one would ever notice because of the smile and joy you constantly radiated,” she began an Instagram post Monday. “I am trying my best today to celebrate your existence but I can’t help but just deeply mourn over your absence. All those texts I would receive, just of you telling me that you’re praying for ME. How you were so selfless I’ll never understand. The way you found the good in everything. You are now a rainbow. Something beautiful that comes after something so gloomy.”
Cyrus, 26, adds about Freeman’s great talent: “You were the only artist EVER, that I tried so hard to ‘sign,’ was going to create a label just so YOU could be on it. No one has heard them and I hope to share at an appropriate time, but the records you were creating with @brandicarlile (where it all began, the story) and my dear writer friend @ilsey were so magically beautiful JUST LIKE YOU.”
She continued, “Today we lost a legend. Do you hear me. Everyone got it so wrong on our season together of The Voice because no matter what has been recorded or remembered YOU won my angel. You are not only the best singer that show has ever had the honor of having on that stage but the best fucking singer in the world. What makes me sick is we always wait till the best are gone to recognize them and truly tell them what their art meant to us. The hope their voice gave us …. the emotions they pulled from us.”
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“Janice you’re my star! I will never give up on you. Ever. I am no longer your coach, I never was ….. YOU constantly taught me. You’ve been my coach on how to love, on how to persevere, on how to fight for what I want and never let even my own body get in the way,” Cyrus concluded. “Anything is possible if it’s being done with faith. You are my world. I will never forget you or stop loving you. I am forever yours, Miley.”
In a second post, Cyrus wrote, “To hug you one more time @janicefreeman …. I made a promise to you here on earth and will keep that promise as you watch from heaven. To take care of your precious little girl, my baby sister. To shine light on your husband and mother when days are dark ! I love you.”
Freeman’s team confirmed her death, which was first reported by TMZ, in a statement posted to her Instagram account.
“We are heartbroken to report that Janice Marie Freeman passed away on March 2, 2019 from an extreme case of pneumonia and a blood clot that traveled to her heart,” the statement read. “While at home her husband Dion performed CPR until the ambulance arrived. She passed away at a local hospital shortly after.”
The statement continued, “A survivor and fighter, and a beautiful force in this world, Janice gained notoriety through her success on NBC’s The Voice as a member of Miley Cyrus’ team. Her story inspired fans nationwide, having successfully battled cervical cancer and living her life to the fullest while fighting lupus. Her friends and family greatly appreciate your prayers, calls, and texts during this time, and ask that they be given space to remember everything that Janice was to them as they process and mourn her loss.”
Freeman is survived by her husband Dion, daughter Hannah and mother Janice.
The singer rose to fame on season 13 of the popular competition series, where she was recruited for coach Cyrus’ team and made it to the Top 11.
Her biography from her time on the show said Freeman’s goal in achieving a successful music career was to “provide stability” for her daughter Hannah. It also focused on her recovery from a cervical cancer diagnosis in 2012.
RELATED: The Voice Contestant Janice Freeman Reveals Miley Cyrus Helped Her Family in a Big Way
She and Cyrus shared a close bond that lasted after Freeman left the show, as she revealed on Twitter in January 2018 that the “Nothing Breaks Like a Heart” singer even helped cover her housing bills for six months.
Cyrus previously shared a sweet tribute to Freeman on her Instagram Sunday with a picture of a rainbow poking out above the trees.
“Thank you @janicefreeman … for everything. This represents you perfectly,” she wrote.