Melanie Panayiotou, the sister of George Michael, died Wednesday, three years to the day after the singer’s death. She was 55.
In a statement, Panayiotou’s family confirmed she “passed away suddenly” on Christmas Day, the BBC reported.
George Michael's sister, Melanie Panayiotou, has died - exactly three years after the former Wham! singer's death on Christmas Day 2016 https://t.co/bSG9RE17IQ
— BBC News (UK) (@BBCNews) December 27, 2019
Panayiotou was found in her north London residence after police were called, E! Online reported. Police said her death was not being treated as suspicious, the website reported.
Michael, who rose to fame in the pop duo Wham! and also had success as a solo artist, died in 2016. The cause of death for the 53-year-old singer was heart disease and a buildup of fat in his liver, Birmingham Live reported.
“We would simply ask that the family’s privacy be respected at this very sad time,” the family said in a statement released through lawyer John Reid. the BBC reported.
© 2019 Cox Media Group
