Benefits Street star Fungi, who passed away this week aged 50, reportedly took his own life following a battle with cancer.
The reality star, real name James Clarke, was found dead in a home for recovering addicts in Birmingham on Monday (July 1).
According to the Mirror, the pal who found him claimed Fungi killed himself, left a note for his girlfriend and was in a lot of pain due to his illness.
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Dave Wilde, 52, said he hadn’t seen James in a few days so decided to check on him.
He said: “I took the door off and there he was. He left a note to his girlfriend Kerry saying how much he loved her and that she was his world but he did not want to her to see him go through pain and that he just had enough.
“It is just tragic no-one had checked on him to see if he was ok, but he was in a lot of pain with the cancer.”
Speaking further, Dave said James was no longer taking drugs and was “doing really well” before his cancer diagnosis.
He continued: “We loved him, there is a big hole in a lot of people’s lives now he has gone. We got on really well, he had done some dodgy things to get money but he did not have a nasty bone in his body.”
James is believed to have died from a heart attack in the early hours of Monday morning, with police and paramedics reportedly called around 2.45am.
They were unable to save him and he was pronounced dead at the scene.
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James, who had battled addictions to alcohol and crack cocaine for years, left behind four children.
According to his ex Donna Reilly, his daughter was “in bits” over his death.
She told the Sun: “The family are very upset, we’ve only just heard. The last time I saw him was at his dad’s funeral in January. I haven’t seen him since, I don’t keep in touch with him.”
James was thrust into the spotlight after featuring on reality series Benefits Street alongside White Dee and other residents of James Turner Street in Winson Green, Birmingham.
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