The family of Juice WRLD have opened up about his death for the first time.
- READ MORE: Juice WRLD – the NME Obituary
The rapper, real name Jared Anthony Higgins, died following a “medical emergency” at Chicago airport on Sunday (December 8) after he reportedly suffered a seizure.
US authorities later confirmed that Higgins had been given the opioid antidote Narcan shortly before he died.
Police reported that they’d received a tip-off that the private jet he was travelling on contained drugs. The police subsequently confirmed that they’d found 70lbs marijuana, several bottles of prescription cough syrup, three guns, metal-piercing bullets and a high-capacity ammunition magazine.
Higgins was said to have suffered a seizure during the search before subsequently waking up. He was rushed to Chicago’s Advocate Christ medical centre where he was pronounced dead at 3:15AM on Sunday (December 8).
An autopsy was completed a day later, but toxicology test results are yet to be determined.
Speaking to TMZ for the first time about the loss of Higgins, his family said: “We loved Jarad with all of our hearts and cannot believe our time with him has been cut short. As he often addressed in his music and to his fans, Jarad battled with prescription drug dependency.
“Addiction knows no boundaries and its impact goes way beyond the person fighting it. Jarad was a son, brother, grandson, friend and so much more to so many people who wanted more than anything to see him defeat addiction.”
They added that they hoped lessons could be learned from his legacy:“We hope the conversations he started in his music and his legacy will help others win their battles as that is what he wanted more than anything.
“We know that Jarad’s legacy of love, joy and emotional honesty will live on.”
Since his death, fans have continued to pay tribute to the late star as his music rose to the US top spots on Amazon Music, Apple and Spotify.
On Apple Music’s Top 100: USA chart, the rapper currently holds the top spot with his track ‘Lucid Dreams’. His song ‘Bandit’ featuring Young Boy takes second place, while ‘All Girls Are The Same’, ‘Legends’ and ‘Robbery’ sit at number five, six and seven.
On Spotify, his tracks make up the top five songs on the Top 200 US chart.
Meanwhile, tributes have continued to pour in from the likes of Sting – whose 1993 track ‘Shape of My Heart’ was reworked to create Juice WRLD’s hit ‘Lucid Dreams’.