It’s with a heavy heart that we report singer Leah LaBelle and her husband, former NBA player Rasual Butler, died in a car crash in Studio City, CA on Wednesday (Jan. 31).
According to TMZ, Butler was driving the vehicle, before losing control at approximately 2 a.m. Their Range Rover hit a parking meter and a wall before flipping over. Law enforcement officials believe he was speeding before the crash.
LaBelle is best known as a contestant on the third season of “American Idol,” which took place in 2004. After rave reviews from Paula Abdul and a 12th place finish, she went on to sign a joint deal with Epic Records, Jermaine Dupri’s So So Def, and Pharrell Williams’ I Am Other. She was 31.
Butler was drafted by the Miami Heat in 2002 and played in the NBA until 2016 under a variety of teams, including the Chicago Bulls, Los Angeles Clippers, Indiana Pacers, and San Antonio Spurs. Most recently, he was part of Ice Cube’s BIG3 league. He was 38.
Friends took to social media to mourn the devastating loss including Pharrell, Bryan-Michael Cox, Karrueche Tran, LaBelle’s fellow Season 3 “Idol” contestant Fantasia, and JoJo, who penned a heartfelt note to her close friend. “Leah, you are my sister. I love you,” she wrote. “and I feel so fortunate that you were in my life. Sing with the angels in heaven. You were an angel on earth.”
RIP RASUAL AND LEAH OMGGGG THIS IS SO SADD!!!!!!! ??????
— Karrueche Tran (@karrueche) January 31, 2018
