Variety brings some sad news today as the outlet reports that one of the main subjects of Netflix documentary Audrie & Daisy, Daisy Coleman, has died by suicide. She was 23. According to the outlet, her body was found by her mother Melinda this week, who had asked police to do a welfare check on her.
For those who’ve seen the aforementioned documentary – which is certainly worth a watch – you’ll know that it looked at both Coleman and Audrie Pott’s sexual assault stories and how it impacted both their own lives and the lives of their families. Premiering at the 2016 Sundance Film Festival, it went on to earn strong reviews, with the powerful pic currently sitting at 81% on Rotten Tomatoes.
Coleman was raped at a party in Maryville, Mo., back in January 2012 when she was just 14 years old. No one was ever convicted for the crime and she was harassed online and at school after the incident. Pott, meanwhile, was assaulted in Saratoga, Calif. in September 2012 and died by suicide shortly after it happened.
Speaking about Daisy’s death, Melinda shared the following on social media:
“My daughter Catherine Daisy Coleman committed suicide tonight. If you saw crazy / messages and posts it was because I called the police to check on her,” she wrote. “She was my best friend and amazing daughter. I think she had to make make it seem like I could live without her. I can’t. I wish I could have taken the pain from her! She never recovered from what those boys did to her and it’s just not fair. My baby girl is gone.”
Coleman had been using her story to help others by co-founding SafeBAE, an organization “dedicated to ending the sexual assault of middle school and high school students.” It also helped survivors to “cope with their experiences.” So far, it’s estimated to have reached out to over 5.5 million people in its mission to put an end to sexual assault.
As press are beginning to reach out, we wanted to release a statement so that we can all remember her for the legacy of her work: "Through our shock and sadness, we are releasing a statement about our loss of Daisy.
— SafeBAE (@safe_bae) August 5, 2020
If you, or anyone you close to you might be having thoughts of suicide, please call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255. Alternatively, you can also go to SpeakingOfSuicide.com/resources for help.
RIP Daisy Coleman.
