‘This Is Us’ Writer Jas Waters’ Cause Of Death Has Been Revealed

The cause of death for This Is Us writer and journalist Jas Waters has been shared.

According to Entertainment Tonight, the Los Angeles County Medical coroner records indicate that Waters died by committing suicide. The 39-year-old died by hanging on Tuesday, June 9.

Waters wrote on 18 episodes of This Is Us and was responsible for some of the show’s most iconic episodes. The This Is Us team released a statement on Wednesday, June 10 to confirm her passing. In the statement, Waters was referred to as a “brilliant storyteller” and “force of nature” to those who were able to work with her. Following the initial post, stars of the family drama like Mandy Moore, Susan Kelechi Watson, and Niles Fitch paid tribute to Waters on social media.

In addition to writing on This Is Us, Waters also worked as a story editor on Jim Carrey’s Kidding, which premiered last year. After learning of her death, Kidding creator Dave Holstein tweeted about the loss and shared how much Waters meant to him and the show’s team.

“@JasFly was a one of a kind voice and so integral to our Kidding writing team,” Holstein wrote. “This is a devastating loss for those who knew her and lived in her light. One of my fav lines of hers is resonating loud with me today: Our scars do not mean we are broken. They are proof we are healed.”

Prior to her television and film accolades, which also includes 2019 film What Men Want and TV shows Hood Adjacent with James Davis and The Breaks, Waters was also a celebrated entertainment journalist. Under the name Jasfly, she had her own column with Vibe Magazine and also appeared on VH1’s 2013 reality show The Gossip Game. She starred alongside The Breakfast Club’s Angela Yee, Kim Osorio, and Sharon Carpenter.

Although many of her colleagues paid tribute to Waters via social media, many celebrities like Amber Riley and Issa Rae shared how her influence paved the way for them. Riley posted a photo of Waters on Instagram and conveyed how heartbroken she was over the loss. On Wednesday, Rae shared on Twitter that Waters was a major influence on her at the beginning of her career. She recalled being excited to work with the writer for an interview back when she was starring in Awkward Black Girl. The YouTube series eventually led to Rae’s own HBO show, Insecure.

“I’ll never forget being so excited to get an interview w/ @JasFly for Necole B*tchie back when I was working on ABG,” Rae wrote. “I could feel her warmth through the phone. Over the years, I got to know & appreciate her even more. She was so generous, beautiful and REAL. I’ll miss you, girl.”

If you or someone you know is in crisis, please call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255) or contact the Crisis Text Line by texting TALK to 741741. For readers outside the U.S., visit Suicide.org or Befrienders Worldwide for international resources you can use to find help.