r.i.p.

American Idol Contestant Joanne Borgella Ramirez Dies at 32

NEW YORK, NY - AUGUST 22: Joanne Borgella attends the 2013 BMI R&B/Hip-Hop Awards at Hammerstein Ballroom on August 22, 2013 in New York City. (Photo by Neilson Barnard/Getty Images for BMI)
Photo: Neilson Barnard/2013 Getty Images

Former American Idol contestant Joanne Borgella Ramirez has died of a rare form of cancer. Her family made the announcement Saturday morning on the singer’s Facebook page and suggest she was suffering from endometrial cancer, which attacks the lining of the uterus and then spread to her chest. Borgella first became famous for winning Mo’nique’s Fat Chance, a beauty pageant for plus-size women that launched her career as a plus-size model. Then she appeared on the seventh season of American Idol and made it onto the show as part of the top 24. Here’s a clip of her performance of “I Say a Little Prayer” on the show.

American Idol Contestant Dies at 32