Before she died of a suspected drug overdose, former reality star Lyric McHenry was full of life.
The EJNYC star’s friends and family are speaking out about the pregnant 26-year-old, who was reportedly found dead in the Bronx, New York, “sprawled out on the sidewalk” in a pajama top and no pants on Tuesday.
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Family friend Lisa Nkonoki told the New York Daily News on Wednesday that she last spoke to Lyric five days before her untimely death, and she was “very excited about the future.”
While the two spent time together on Saturday evening at the 16th annual Martha’s Vineyard African American Film Festival, Lisa said she also saw Lyric earlier in the week when she gushed about her family and friends. She recalled:
“She spoke about her parents, her love for her family. She spoke about being best friends with Magic Johnson‘s son [EJ Johnson] and projects she’s working on. She was very excited about the future.”
Lisa said she found out about the tragic passing from the starlet’s father. According to reports, Lyric was 20 weeks pregnant and was found with a small bag of cocaine.
The family of the reality star released a statement on her passing, noting the cause of her death has still “yet to be determined.”
Read their full statement (below).
“The McHenry Family deeply appreciates the many communications of support from Lyric’s many friends upon learning of her untimely death at approximately 6:00 AM the morning of August 14th, 2018. Despite the speculation in earlier reports, at this point in time the cause of Lyric’s death has yet to be determined.
In contrast, what is factual and known is that Lyric who just turned 26 last week on August 6, was a brilliant, creative and lovely young woman who shared a deep passion for writing, film and a long-standing commitment to social justice. She was a Christian who grew up in Los Angeles and attended the Center for Early Education and graduated from the Marlborough School in Los Angeles.
Lyric graduated from Stanford University in 2014 where she studied in Paris, France for a year and spoke fluent French. She began her career in the entertainment industry as an intern on The Real Hollywood Husbands TV show. Thereafter, she worked at United Talent Agency (UTA) and found her true passion, internet content and went on to work at Refinery 29 and Complex.
Lyric worked on numerous social justice issues throughout her high school years including volunteering for the Obama Campaign in 2007-2008 at age 15 and again in 2012, both times working on the LA fundraising staff and organizing various campaign events. Lyric produced and raised funds via crowd funding for her first film which won several film festival awards, and was a Producer and member of the cast of E! show EJNYC.
Currently, Lyric was working on packaging and development of several well-regarded film and TV projects. She was also interviewing for several West Coast Media jobs having returned to LA in February from working in NYC for several years and preparing her applications for a business school MBA Program.
Lyric’s warmth, compassion and energy will be missed by many and the family would appreciate that all speculation surrounding the circumstances of death cease until the real facts are determined during the current investigation by the NYPD and the City of New York. Lyric is the daughter of Producer and Director Doug McHenry, an award-winning filmmaker known for New Jack City, The Brothers, Jason’s Lyric and approximately 20 other films. He graduated from Stanford University and Harvard Law School and Harvard Business School. Her mother Jennifer, a stylist to the stars including Oprah Winfrey as one of her clients. She is also survived by her sister, Maya McHenry.”
So sad. R.I.P., Lyric.
[Image via Instagram.]
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