David Bowie died three days after his 69th birthday in 2016, about 18 months after he was diagnosed with cancer.
The iconic musician kept his terminal illness hidden from even his closest friends, prompting Autopsy’s Dr. Michael Hunter to believe he could have been masking another horrific condition: schizophrenia.
Much of Bowie’s family suffered from the mental illness, which according to professionals is characterized by paranoia, delusions, and hallucinations.
“Your ability to understand reality becomes distorted, and it can be a very frightening condition to deal with,” says Hunter in a video teaser for REELZ’s new docuseries, Autopsy: David Bowie.
“Three of David Bowie’s aunts, at various times, were diagnosed with having different kinds of mental illness and schizophrenia was a theme running through that side of the family,” says Bowie Biographer, Christopher Sandford.
“The ‘mad aunts’ David used to call them,” recalls Music Journalist Lesley-Ann Jones.
“His half-brother Terry was afflicted, was institutionalized and did eventually commit suicide,” explains Jones.
Did David Bowie secretly suffer from the debilitating illness, and did it play a part in his tragic death?
Autopsy: David Bowie airs Sunday, June 17 at 9:00 ET/ PT on REELZ.
