How Did Kanye West's Mom Die? Donda West Passed Away in 2007 Following Plastic Surgery
Kanye West was devastated by the death of his mother, Donda West, on November 10, 2007.
The rapper has seemingly never come to terms with how his mother died. But with his new album, it appears that the rapper is attempting to forgive those involved in her death.
In a tweet posted on April 28, 2018, West shared a photo of the plastic surgeon who had carried out procedures on his mother the day before she died. In the screenshot of a text exchange with someone called Wes, West wrote:
"This is my album cover. This is plastic surgeon Jan Adams. The person who performed my moms final surgery. Do you have any title ideas? I want to forgive and stop hating."Here's everything you need to know about Donda West's death.
1. Donda was Kanye's "momager" before her death.
Just as Kris Jenner is to Kim Kardashian, Donda West was Kanye's momager at the time of her death. She previously worked on the faculty of the English Department of Chicago State University. She retired from her academic role to work with her son, and wrote a book about him titled Raising Kanye: Life Lessons from the Mother of a Hip-Hop Superstar, which came out in May 2007, just months before she died.
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2. Donda underwent cosmetic surgery procedures the day before her death.
Donda had liposuction, a tummy tuck, and a breast reduction, the day before she died.
According to the autopsy report (via People), "West was able to walk out of the clinic after 5 1/2 hours of surgery, heavily bandaged, and prescribed Vicodin for pain. She opted to return to her home for care even though she was advised that she receive post-operative care at another facility." She was apparently, as per the autopsy report, cared for by an "experienced nurse" and other family members at home.
The surgeon that performed her procedures, Dr. Jan Adams, has spoken at length about Donda West's death, revealing to INSIDE Edition that "the lengthy liposuction, tummy-tuck and breast-reduction surgery went ahead without any issues."
3. Complications occurred when Donda returned home after surgery.
The day after her surgeries, West's mother (via People) allegedly "experienced a sore throat, pain and tightening in her chest, before collapsing in the early evening. A friend at the house called 911 and West was taken to the hospital, where she was pronounced dead in the emergency room." Donda died on November 10, 2007.
Adams claimed to INSIDE Edition that he advised Donda to recover from her surgeries in hospital, but that the patient was keen to return home.
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4. The coroner's report was inconclusive.
According to the coroner (via People in 2008):
"The final manner of death could not be determined. Multiple post-operative factors could have played a role in the death. The exact contribution of each factor could not be determined. There was no evidence of a surgical or anaesthetic misadventure."The report also found (via Daily News) that both vomiting and medication were contributing factors in Donda's death. According to the publication, the patient is thought to have taken up to "20 pain-killing Vicodins in less than 24 hours."
Speaking to Daily News in May 2015, Adams said, "Most people that I run into think she died on the table, they don't even know this lady was home for a day. The truth hasn't been revealed."
5. The coroner found no evidence of problems with the surgery performed by Dr. Adams.
The Los Angeles County Coroner found that "there was no evidence of a surgical procedure problem" leading to Ms. West’s death (via NY Daily News). However, as a result of the investigation, Adams told INSIDE Edition that he lost his business, and his reputation was tarnished irreparably.
6. Kanye has always blamed himself for the death of his mom.
In an interview with Q Magazine in June 2015, West said, "If I had never moved to L.A. she'd be alive... I don't want to go far into it because it will bring me to tears."
7. Kanye says his next album cover will feature a photo of his mother's surgeon.
Tweeting ahead of the release of his new album, West revealed his plans to use a photo of Dr. Adams as the album cover. Asking a friend for advice on what to call the record, West explained, "I want to forgive and stop hating." His friend, Wes, replied with the title suggestion, "LOVE EVERYONE," which West appeared to approve of:
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Amy Mackelden is a freelance writer, editor, and disability activist. Her bylines include Harper's BAZAAR, Nicki Swift, Cosmopolitan, Marie Claire, ELLE, The Independent, Bustle, Healthline, and HelloGiggles. She co-edited The Emma Press Anthology of Illness, and previously spent all of her money on Kylie Cosmetics.
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