Double Christmas tragedy for George Michael's family
|Published
GONE: Sister Melanie, right and George. Picture: Supplied. GONE: Sister Melanie, right and George. Picture: Supplied.
George Michael’s younger sister has died on the third anniversary of the superstar’s death.
The body of Melanie Panayiotou, 55, was found on Christmas Day, which is the same day the Faith singer passed away in 2016 at the age of 53, due to dilated cardiomyopathy with myocarditis and a fatty liver.
A statement from the Metropolitan Police read: “Police were called by London Ambulance Service at 7.35pm on Wednesday, 25 December, to reports of the sudden death of a woman, aged in her 50s, at an address in Oak Hill Park, NW3.”
No foul play is suspected.
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‘Be good to yourself, because nobody else has the power to make you happy...’
A post shared by George Michael(@georgemofficial) on Aug 20, 2016 at 11:11am PDT
While the cause of death has yet to be established, sources claim Melanie died of a broken heart.
The hairdresser never recovered from the “pain of failing in her decade-long battle to save George from an early death” brought on by drug and alcohol abuse.
And she had become a recluse and piled on weight in her final years.
Following George’s death at his home in Oxfordshire, Melanie, who never married and had no children, shared the £98 million fortune left in his will with older sister Yioda.
GROWING TRAGEDY: Singer George Michael's home in London is still flooded with tributes daily. Picture: Hannah McKay/Reuters.
Melanie will be buried next to the ‘Careless Whisper’ singer and their mother.
An insider told the Daily Star Sunday newspaper: “George still doesn't have a gravestone three years after his death, and it's going to stay that way.
“Now that they will also have to visit the family plot to mourn Melanie, they don't want to be wading through fans and their tributes just to pay respect to the growing number of their tragic loved ones.”