“Big Brother” alum Mickey Lee made an eerie comment about being thankful for life just days before her sudden death at age 35.
The reality star appeared on the “Hip Hop United LLC” podcast on Dec. 17 where host, Algernon Billups, asked how she “measures [her] happiness,” which she struggled to answer at first.
“I wake up and I thank God everyday that I’m here,” she finally said. “I’m happy when that happens. I have another day. I have clothes on my back, I have food on the table and I have my village.”
Billups added to her sentiment, agreeing, “Life itself is what should make you happy. Seeing another sunrise makes me happy. Having the ability to breathe; mobility — those are things that make me happy.”
Lee enthusiastically agreed with his words before discussing her plans for the new year and some career goals, including starting her own podcast, prioritizing spending time with family, and making time for fitness.
But tragically, just a few days after the podcast was filmed, her family confirmed she died on Christmas Day via an Instagram statement.
In the statement, Lee’s loved ones wrote, “She will be remembered for the joy she brought into the lives of so many and for the genuine connections she formed on and offscreen.”
They also asked for “privacy during this critical time of bereavement” as they mourn their “tremendous loss.”
News broke earlier this week that Lee had been hospitalized, with a GoFundMe page revealing the former CBS personality was in “critical but stable condition” after “suffer[ing] a series of cardiac arrests.”
The page’s organizer, Kori Smith, called Lee’s “road ahead … long and challenging” after the “sudden health crisis.”
During her podcast appearance, Lee seemed to be in high spirits and took several photos at the iHeartRadio studio.
She had also appeared on the “You Know I’m Right” podcast on Dec. 16 where she shared more about her experience on “Big Brother” and her life in Atlanta, where she resided prior to her death.
The “Hip Hop United LLC” team called her death a “complete shocker” in an Instagram tribute to the late star Friday.
Lee was a cast member of the CBS competition show’s most recent season which ran from July to September.
She was voted out by her co-stars during her eighth week on the show.
Several of Lee’s fellow “Big Brother” alums sent their well-wishes in Instagram comments amid her hospitalization.
“Praying for an easy and smooth recovery,” Jimmy Heagerty wrote, while Rachel Reilly added, “Prayers Mickey 🙏🙏🙏 thinking about you and your family.”
