Trigger Warning: This story includes sensitive subject matter that may be hard for some readers.
Melinda Coleman, the mother of Audrie and Daisy’s Daisy Coleman, has died. Coleman tragically died by suicide Sunday evening, four months after her daughter took her own life at the age of 23. Melinda Coleman was 58.
News of Melinda Coleman’s passing was confirmed by SafeBAE, the sexual assault help and prevention organization that Daisy Coleman helped found. The organization released this statement to Instagram:
The statement lovingly remembered the life and legacy of Melinda Coleman. It also noted the grief she felt due to the losses she had experienced:
We are in shock and disbelief to share with our SafeBAE family, that we lost Melinda Coleman to suicide this evening. The bottomless grief of losing her husband, [son] Tristan, and Daisy was more than she could face most days.
Coleman's husband was killed in a car accident when Daisy was just a child, and her son, Tristan, was killed in a car crash in 2018. The message also remembered Melissa as a “devoted wife and mother” with a myriad of interests. But the message stressed just how important her children were to her:
Melinda was a gifted veterinarian, devoted mother and wife and talented bodybuilder. More than anything, she loved and believed in her children. It is no accident that she created some of the most gifted, passionate, and resilient children. Our hearts are forever with Logan & Charlie.
ET reports that in the hours before Coleman’s death, she took to Facebook to post a message and photos in which she reflected on her late daughter’s passing. Coleman was candid about the feelings of loss that she was experiencing:
There aren’t enough I love yous I could have said when I was holding your cold, broken, dead body. I held you like a baby anyway, my baby. The baby I held when you first came into this world. It has always been my greatest honor and joy to be your mother and best friend. Mama bear!
Melinda and Daisy Coleman first came into the public eye in the 2016 Netflix documentary, Audrie and Daisy. The acclaimed doc examined the lives of Daisy and Audrie Pott, who were both dealing with trauma stemming from sexual assault. Daisy Coleman was allegedly raped at the age of 14 at a 2012 Missouri house party by one of her high school’s star football players. The doc also chronicled the backlash the Coleman family received for taking the alleged incident to court.
Daisy Coleman was found dead on August 4 after her mother requested a wellness check from the Lakeside Police force. It was discovered that she died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound. Reports also point to the younger Coleman having dealt with an alleged stalker and reportedly issued a complaint on the day of her suicide.
If you or anyone you know is dealing with the effects of sexual assault or rape, the National Sexual Assault Hotline is one of the resources that can be of assistance.
We here at CinemaBlend extend our deepest thoughts and condolences to the Coleman family during this very difficult time.
