HUNTRESS Singer JILL JANUS Dies In Apparent Suicide

HUNTRESS singer Jill Janus has died in an apparent suicide. She was only 43 years old.

The news of Jill‘s death was made public by Janus‘s longtime friend and former bandmate Casey Wood, who posted the following message on Facebook: “I’m in shock and can’t stop crying. My X best friend, singer has left the world. She was the biggest sweetheart and I hope that her Legacy lives on as it should! You were supposed to be on your way back here Jill Janus. I love you I miss you, and my door is still open for you always. Rest in peace my sister.”

Another one of Jill‘s former bandmates, Johnny Jetson, also commented on Facebook, writing: “Very sad news… Just talked to my drummer Casey Wood who informed me that our singer Jill Janus has passed away. My deepest condolences to her family and loved ones… Jill was amazing and will be missed…”

Jill reportedly played in VEXY STRUT with Wood and Jetson between 2003 and 2006.

Janus has been open over the years about her battles with not only mental illness, in the form of bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, dissociative identity disorder and alcoholism, but also physical illness in the form of cancer.

Jill told Psychology Today in a 2015 interview that she attempted suicide for the first time at the age of 16 “with a pair of scissors. I was getting mandatory counseling at school but didn’t see a psychiatrist until I was 20,” she said. “I was then diagnosed manic-depressive and participated in a medical study at New York-Presbyterian Hospital in Manhattan.”

Janus was eventually diagnosed with schizoaffective disorder, telling Psychology Today: “I’ve always seen and heard things others couldn’t. Many visions or dreams would manifest into reality, which my family and friends described as my ‘psychic ability.’ This caused more drama at school, being called a ‘freak’ and getting beaten up. When I was 17, the visions and encounters with ‘other-worldly creatures’ was almost a daily occurrence.”

In a Revolver interview, Janus described how the schizoaffective disorder evolved into full schizophrenia, which affected her in her 20s and continued until her death. She said: I was suicidal constantly. I was very suicidal early on in my life. Then in my mid-20s, it shifted to full-blown mania, where I can’t really remember much of my 20s. I can’t remember anybody from high school, either. I lost my long-term memory and can’t remember names, faces, or even places. We’ll be at a venue on tour and [HUNTRESS guitarist] Blake [Meahl] will be, like, ‘We’ve played here two times before,’ but I’ll have no recollection.”

Janus was diagnosed with uterine cancer in 2015 while HUNTRESS was working on its third album, “Static”. She was eventually declared cancer-free after undergoing a hysterectomy.

“Static” was released in 2015 via Napalm Records.

Fonte: Blabbermouth.net