Jamal Edwards’ mum in ‘state of shock’ as she reveals cause of son’s death
‘His passing has shown that any one bad decision on any one occasion can lead to devastating consequences,’ entrepreneur’s mother Brenda said in a statement
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.Jamal Edwards’ mother has revealed his cause of death as cardiac arrhythmia brought on “by having taken recreational drugs”.
Edwards, the British entrepreneur who founded the pioneering online music platform SBTV, died at the age of 31 in February.
He gained fame as the chief executive of SBTV, which helped to launch the careers of chart-topping artists including Ed Sheeran, Stormzy and Jessie J.
A cause of death was not disclosed at the time.
Edwards’ mother Brenda has now shared an emotional post to Instagram on Tuesday (7 June), disclosing his cause of death and paying tribute to her late son.
“Since I last spoke, I have sadly learned that the cause of Jamal’s devastating passing was due to cardiac arrhythmia caused by having taken recreational drugs and I wanted to address this myself to everyone who loved, admired and respected my son,” Brenda wrote.
Explaining that she has been in a “state of shock” since discovering the cause of her son’s death, she continued: “It’s so important to me that I do address it as no mother or any loved one should have to go through what Jamal’s sister, Tanisha, and I have been through since he passed.”
“Jamal had the world at his fingertips – a zest for life and he wsa unwittingly taken away far too soon. Yet we have come to terms with what has happened, and Jamal is proof that this can happen to anyone,” she said.
“These types of substances are extremely unpredictable, and we can only hope that this will encourage others to think wisely when faced with similar situations in the future.
“His passing has shown that any one bad decision on any one occasion can lead to devastating consequences.”
Brenda added that she hopes to “help drive more conversation about the unpredictability of recreational drugs and the impact that they can have. How it takes just one bad reaction to destroy lives”.
She went on to pay tribute to her late son, saying that she and him “had one of the strongest mother/son relationships you could imagine”.
“Jamal inspired so many – working tirelessly to unite and give a platform to countless people and communities across the UK, and something I know for certain is that the impact he had on those lives will live on,” she said.
Brenda said that the recently launched Jamal Edwards Self Belief Trust will “continue to not only honour his name but to help those in need, placing a special emphasis on the mental wellbeing of its service users”.
“In Jamal’s own words – ‘the goal isn’t to live forever; the goal is to create something that will’ – my beautiful son, you did that and then some,” she concluded.
At the age of 15, Edwards launched his platform recording his friends performing on the estate where he lived in Acton, west London, before catapulting to success. He was awarded an MBE in 2014 for services to music.
His death prompted tributes from figures from the entertainment industry and beyond, with many expressing their condolences to his mother, the Loose Women panellist Brenda Edwards, who finished fourth in the second series of The X Factor in 2005.
If you or someone you know is suffering from drug addiction, you can seek confidential help and support 24-7 from Frank, by calling 0300 123 6600, texting 82111, sending an email or visiting their website here.
In the US, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration can be reached at 1-800-662-HELP.