George Michael (left) and his sister Melanie Panayiotou.Photo: Pip-Landmark Media/Landmark Media/Newscom via ZUMA
Exactly three years afterGeorge Michael‘s death on Christmas Day 2016, his sister Melanie Panayiotou was found dead in her London home.
Melanie Panayiotou.
Michael was 53 years old when he died on Christmas Day in 2016.
In March 2017, the coroner revealed that the singerdied of natural causesand suffered a dilated cardiomyopathy with myocarditis and fatty liver.
Just days before her death, Melanie and her sister Yioda, as well as the singer’s father Jack and longtime manager David Austin,thanked fans for their supportas the three-year anniversary of the singer’s death approached.
In a statement shared to hisofficial websiteon Monday, the family said they’d “come to fully appreciate (although we already knew really), quite how much love there is out there in the world, for both Yog [which is Michael’s nickname] and his beautiful music” in the years since his death in 2016.
Michael’s relatives then went on to thank fans for embracing the recent filmLast Christmas, which was named after one of Michael’s biggest hits and isbased on his music.
“Thank you for embracing and supporting the ‘Last Christmas’ movie and soundtrack, we knew you would enjoy it!! ‘This Is How’ is good, isn’t it?? We love that you love it, as would Yog.”
Sean Gallup/Getty Images
In addition, Michael’s relatives wrote that they will be “swerving the bad and enjoying the good” as much as they can in the New Year, adding “2019 has been difficult and busy for George’s hardworking team.”
Michael’s Wham! bandmate Andrew Ridgeley paid tribute to Melanie on Friday, writing, “Utterly tragic news of Mel Panayiotou’s passing. My thoughts are with her sister and father at this desperately sad time.”
source: people.com
