On Wednesday (June 10), news surfaced that “This Is Us” writer and hip hop journalist Jas Waters passed away. Today (June 11), the Los Angeles County Coroner confirmed her cause of death as hanging and ruled it as a suicide.
“The entire #ThisIsUs family was devastated to learn of Jas Waters passing,” the NBC show tweeted. “In our time together, Jas left her mark on us and ALL over the show. She was a brilliant storyteller and a force of nature. We send our deepest sympathies to her loved ones. She was one of us. RIP @JasFly.”
“This Is Us” creator Dan Fogelman tweeted out a statement of his own as well. “This news took my breath away,” he tweeted. “Jas was absolutely brilliant and had so many stories still to tell. She made an indelible mark on our show and my heart breaks for her loved ones. RIP @JasFly.”
Waters was a writer on the 2019 film What Men Want, Showtime’s “Kidding” and Comedy Central’s “Hood Adjacent with James Davis.” She wrote for “This Is Us” in 2017 and 2018. She was also a well-respected hip hop journalist.
Before becoming a screenwriter, she ran her own entertainment website and was a columnist for VIBE magazine. She also starred in “The Gossip Game,” a VH1 reality show about bloggers and other media figures in the music industry.
Dave Holstein, creator of “Kidding,” also spoke out about Waters’ untimely death. “@JasFly was a one of a kind voice and so integral to our ‘Kidding’ writing team.” he tweeted. “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.’”
The REVOLT team continues to send their thoughts and prayers to Waters’ family and friends.