George Michael’s sister Melanie Panayiotou had struggled to deal with the death of the singer after watching him become hooked on drugs and alcohol.
The younger sister of late singer George was just 55 when her body was found at her North London home on Wednesday - exactly three years after the death of the Wham! singer.
Melanie is said to have become a near recluse following the death of George - with a source close to the family telling the Daily Mail she had been “heartbroken” and “in desperate pain” over the death of George.
The source also says Melanie had “devoted herself” to helping George confront his demons after he turned to drink and drugs following the death of their beloved mother Lesley in 1997.
“Mel had a heart of gold. She was exceptionally close to George and his death hit her hard. She will be missed tremendously,” the source told the publication.
Mel and George are said to have been incredibly close - with the younger Panayiotou family member joining the star on tour.
George is believed to have left his younger sister a share of his £98 million fortune in his will - splitting the money between her and his older sister, Yioda.
It has also been reported that Mel’s body was found in her £6.2 million Hampstead home which was previously owned by her brother.
Melanie herself had taken to social media just hours before her death to leave a poignant and uplifting message for fans via George’s website.
“We will be swerving the bad and enjoying the good as much as we can this coming year… We are, as usual, staying as positive as possible,” she wrote - just two days before she died.
Panayiotou family lawyer, John Reid, confirmed the death of Melanie earlier this week stating: “We can confirm that very tragically Melanie has passed away suddenly.”
He added: “We would simply ask that the family’s privacy be respected at this very sad time.”
Fans have been leaving tributes to both George and Mel outside the singer's house since news of Mel's death broke on Friday - while many others have taken to social media to grieve online.
