Brenda Edwards has confirmed her son's cause of death after Jamal Edwards tragically died in February, aged 31. There was an outpouring of grief and shock at the SBTV founder's sudden death.
Entrepreneur and music pioneer Jamal was awarded an MBE in 2014 for his services to music and is widely credited for launching the careers of several leading British artists including Ed Sheeran and Dave.
Now, four months on from Jamal's death, his heartbroken mum Brenda has confirmed he died from a cardiac arrhythmia caused by taking recreational drugs.
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"Since I last spoke, I have sadly learned that the cause of Jamal’s devastating passing was due to cardiac arrhythmia caused by having taken recreational drugs and I wanted to address this myself to everyone who loved, admired and respected my son," the Loose Women star said in a statement posted on social media.
She said since finding out she has been in a 'state of shock' but says it is 'important to her' to address it so "no other mother or loved one should have to go through what Jamal's sister, Tanisha, and I have been through since he passed."
"Jamal had the world at his fingertips – a zest for life and he was unwittingly taken away far too soon," Brenda continued. "Yet we have to come to terms with what happened, and Jamal is proof that this can happen to anyone.
"These types of substances are extremely unpredictable, and we can only hope that this will encourage others to think wisely when faced with similar situations in the future. His passing has shown that any one bad decision on any one occasion can lead to devastating consequences."
Brenda continued: "It's so important that we help drive more conversation about the unpredictability of recreational drugs and the impact they can have. How it takes just one bad decision to destroy lives. I would do anything to have my son back but that is not possible so if I can help save one life, then we will have achieved something.
"Jamal and I had one of the strongest mother/son relationships that you could imagine. We were best friends, and out of his many, many, wonderful qualities the one that made me most proud was his mission to help others - he was the most selfless person I knew."
Towards the end of her message she added: "I'm so incredibly proud of everything he achieved over the course of his 31 years; I'm proud to call him my son.... In Jamal's own words: 'The goal isn't to live forever, the goal is to create something that will'. My beautiful son, you did that and then some.
Sharing the statement on Instagram, Brenda said: "Rest In Peace my beautiful baby," before being flooded with support. Loose Women co-star Nadia Sawalha was among the first to respond, writing: "This must have been so painful for you to write. Very brave. Sending love to you and your incredible children. This changes nothing. He achieved so much. He was a damn fine man."
