Entertainment

Juice Wrld’s funeral attended by friends and family following the rapper’s tragic death at 21


Hundreds of fans gathered for a memorial while Juice Wrld’s funeral took place (Picture: TMZ/Backgrid/

Juice Wrld’s funeral was held in Illinois on Friday, after the rapper tragically died at the age of 21 last week.

Friends and family paid tribute to the musician, real name Jarad Anthony Higgins, as he lay in an open casket at the Holy Temple Cathedral Church of God in Christ, around 45 minutes away from his home town of Chicago, while hundreds of fans gathered outside.

A copy of the programme for the funeral was released, featuring hymns and poems as well as a collage of photos of the star throughout the years.

Pictures showed him as a child, at graduation, posing on red carpets including the VMAs once his career started to take off and sharing a kiss with his girlfriend.

His obituary shared stories about his religious upbringing, including one about a time he and his mother were caught in a tornado when he was nine-years-old, explaining: ‘Jarad showed his faith and prayed with authority, calming his frightened mother’.

The rapper passed away on Sunday, 8 December after suffering a seizure at Chicago’s Midway airport, and was conscious when he was taken to hospital but was pronounced dead shortly afterward.

He was laid to rest on Friday, 13 December, and members of his family, including his mother Carmela Wallace, and his siblings and grandmother shared their words.

Heartbreaking tributes from his family were in the funeral programme (Picture: TMZ / BACKGRID)
The booklet featured private images of the rapper throughout his life (Picture: TMZ / BACKGRID)

His mother wrote in his funeral programme that the pair had remained close and had a ‘special bond’ even though he had left home early, but he still called her ‘mommy’ and hugged and kissed her when he saw her.

She wrote: ‘Your love was pure and innocent, and your heart was genuine. You truly cared about people and wanted to make the world a better place. I am going to miss you dearly. Rest in peace my dear one; mommy loves you.’

His grandmother described him as a ‘happy little boy who grew up to become a thoughtful, caring and talented young man’.

Fans gathered at Juice’s memorial to pay tribute to the rapper (Picture: Getty Images)
They raised the lights on their phones as they honoured his memory (Picture: Getty Images)
Hundreds of mourners gathered at Millennium Park in Chicago (Picture: Getty)

As well as his family, executives and staffers from his record label, Interscope, attended the ceremony, as well as fellow rapper Ski Mask the Slump God.

His mother, Carmela, told TMZ that she hopes Juice’s story can help others struggling with addiction and thank fans for the outpouring of love and support they had received.

His official cause of death has yet to be confirmed, but law enforcement sources told TMZ that he had taken a number of pills on board the plane after authorities came to search the private jet once they landed.

The FBI also seized 70 pounds of marijuana packed in vacuum-sealed bags which were in several suitcases, after he suffered the seizure.



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