Singer Lauren Bennett, the voice of LMFAO's 2011 hit "Party Rock Anthem," died by suicide, an inquest has found. The musician, also a member of girl group G.R.L., died in Kent, England, on May 29 at age 36, having been found near her home in Meopham by her husband, Kenny Wormald.
She had told him she was going for a walk at around 9am, and he recalled to police that he was still half asleep when she left the house. When she did not return, he and her father traced her location via "Find My Phone" and discovered her body in a nearby area of woodland. Her cause of death was not publicly revealed at the time, as an investigation was launched.
Inquest Findings
Now, an inquest has determined that she took her own life, having suffered a mental health crisis at the start of this year and faced an "ongoing struggle" since. Today, at Kent and Medway Coroners' Court, in Maidstone, assistant coroner Jyoti Gill noted that Bennett was in the care of "special mental health services" at the time of her death and had been experiencing "substantial psychological suffering" since being sectioned for a few days in January.
She noted that the star "continued to report symptoms of distress regarding the effects of the prescribed medication" and had a meeting with mental health services days before her death. Gill found that Bennett had died by suicide from hanging.
Career and Family
The performer's brother, step-brother, and sister-in-law were in court for the hearing, and her father, Richard Bennett, penned a statement read out by the coroner. He said his daughter had lived an "amazing life," signing a record deal at just 17 and moving to the US on her own.
Bennett rose to stardom in 2009 as part of the band Paradiso Girls, whose single "Patron Tequila" featured Lil Jon and charted in the US and Canada. The group split a year later, after which the singer featured alongside LMFAO and GoonRock on one of the biggest tunes of 2011. "Party Rock Anthem" topped charts in the UK, the US, Canada, Ireland, and Australia.
Then, in 2013, Bennett joined G.R.L., which was formed by producer Robin Antin after her success with the Pussycat Dolls. The "Ugly Heart" hitmakers disbanded after bandmate Simone Battle's death by suicide in 2014, but Bennett returned as part of new line-ups in 2016 and again in 2020.
Bennett met her husband while touring in America. Together, they opened a dance studio in Los Angeles. Statements in court suggested that she was diagnosed with a genetic condition, Fragile X, before the couple moved back to the UK with their daughter.
