“We are heartbroken”: Luke Bell’s family reflects on country singer’s death and mental health struggles

American musician Luke Bell's family has broken their silence over the sudden death of the star.

The 32-year-old was found dead on August 29 in Tucson, Arizona after he went missing for nine days. In a statement given to TMZ, the All Blue singer's close friends and family said:

"We have lost our beloved son, brother, and friend and we are heartbroken. Luke had a gentle heart, a wanderer’s spirit, and a musical gift that he was fortunate to share with us and the world."

They added:

We are so grateful to his friends and fans for embracing Luke and his music. We would like to thank all of Luke’s fans, friends, and family who have been sharing stories and photos of happy times with him."

Further in the statement, they revealed that he suffered from a mental illness which worsened after Bell's father passed away in 2015.

"Unfortunately Luke suffered from the disease of mental illness, which progressed after his father's death in 2015. Luke was supported through his disease by a community of loving family and friends. Despite this, he was unable to receive the help he needed to ease his pain."

They also acknowledged that:

"millions of people affected by mental illness who, like us, understand the devastating disappointment of a system that consistently fails to provide caring solutions to those who suffer. Our only comfort comes in the fact that our Luke is finally free and at peace.”

Luke Bell's close friends and family asked for privacy during this difficult time.

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Luke Bell had disappeared a few times earlier

While speaking to TMZ, Luke Bell's business manager Brian Buchanan revealed that this was not the first time that the singer had gone missing. Brian said that the singer had done so several times in the past.

He added that Bell was prescribed a new medication to treat his bipolar disorder but was unable to figure out a way to cope with his state. Buchanan also said:

"Luke fought this as hard as he could, but the disease got the better of him. When he was beating the disease, he was the sweetest and most generous guy. He's found peace now and there's some comfort."

Although Bell had disappeared before, people were able to track him down each time.

Authorities connected to the case, revealed that the Where Ya Been? singer had gone missing earlier this month in Tucson. Luke had gone out to get food with his friend Matt Kinman that night and was gone by the time Kinman got back to the car.

The duo were in town to play musical gigs and Kinman had been taking care of Bell for some time now. Luke Bell's friend had been searching for him for 10 days before police found his body.

As of now, the cause of death has not been revealed and police are still investigating the case.