The people who loved Gemma Vanzant will never forget her.
Gemmia Vanzant was Iyanla’s (motivational speaker and host of the Fix My Life show) daughter.
Iyhanla Vanzant is a well-known life coach whose books have sold more than 8 million copies. Iyanla Vanzant’s loss of her daughter was one of her lowest points, despite her training.
Her passing devastated her family, especially her mother. For Gemmia’s mother, who is now dealing with grief, her death came as a rude shock.
You need to be aware of a lot of details about her life, including what caused her death.
The Life Story of Gemma Vanzant
In 1969, Gemmia Vanzant was born. In 1973, Charles and Iyanla Vanzant, her parents, were united in marriage. In 1979, they divorced, leaving Iyanla with custody of her kids. Nisa and Damon Vanzant are her two younger siblings; she is the oldest. The name of her daughter is Niamoja. Tuesdays were for baking with her daughter.
Iyanla married Adeyemi Bandele, whom she met in 1997. Three of her children from her first marriage were raised by them. After ten years, her second marriage ended in divorce.
Two generations of her family members shared Gemma’s deep love of therapeutic herbs and scents.
How Did Gemmia Vanzant Die?
The news that Gemmia had a rare type of colon cancer was devastating. Nobody was aware of her remaining time. However, she was incapacitated for fifteen months, and her mother had to handle her business.
She managed Gemmia’s household in addition to her own family and business. On December 25, 2003, she passed away. Her mother’s life was at its lowest point at the time of her death. Iyanla nearly committed suicide as a result of her depression.
She passed away when she was 30 years old. It was a rude shock to the Vanzant family because no parent wants to bury their child.
Gemmia’s family was not ready to grieve when she passed away from colon cancer.
8 More Surprising Facts About Her
1. Gemmia Vanzant pursued a career in aromatherapy
A passion for scents ran in the family. Gemmia decided to study aromatherapy because she was interested in herbs, aromas, and therapy. It inspired her to develop Masterpiece goods. These goods were intended to aid others in developing both physical and metaphysical energy.
Iyanla claimed that Rissie Harris, her grandmother, was a skilled herbalist. She might have acquired knowledge from her Native American ancestry.
She might have acquired this knowledge from her sharecropper father.
Whatever the case, Gemma and her ancestors both had a deep affection for herbs.
The knowledge was passed down from Iyanla’s grandmother to her son, who then passed it on to his daughter. Iyanla found what her father taught her to be fascinating.
2. Gemmia Vanzant received her ordination to the priesthood.
Gemmia began her journey toward personal growth when she was nineteen years old and joined the priesthood. She finished her training and was ordained.
She founded Inner Visions: Institute for Spiritual Development with her mother. There, ordained ministers received their training.
3. Gemma Vanzant Maintained A Journal
While she was still alive, Iyanla encouraged her daughter to keep a diary. Her mother had more time with her after her death thanks to the entries in her diary.
Life had taken a spiritual turn for Gemmia. She wrote spiritual works. Iyanla believed the diary entries had given her a lot to learn. She intended to apply and value the lessons her father had taught her.
Gemma acknowledged that she might not be able to finish some of the assignments her father had given her.
4. Iyanla’s Gemmia’s Masterpiece
Everybody has a unique method for preserving loved ones in eternity. Even in her work, Iyanla Vanzant thinks of her long-deceased daughter. Gemmia’s legacy and the continuation of her work are the Masterpeace body therapy products.
Her mother continued the product line she had started after she passed away as a part of her recovery.
She senses the spirit of her late child whenever she creates a new product. The extensive line of goods is a tribute to her daughter. These goods include bath washes and body lotion.
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5. Gemmia’s mother had a difficult upbringing
When she was two years old, in 1957, her mother passed away from breast cancer. Iyanla was raised by various relatives of her father.
She was raped when she was nine years old. She overcame every obstacle brought on by a trying upbringing. She was tenacious and committed to succeeding.
Iyanla Vanzant finished college and went on to have a successful career as a life coach. As a lawyer, she began working as a public defender in Philadelphia. Later, she started writing books instead. She has already sold more than 8 million copies of her books, making her a successful author.
6. Her mother once had a violent marriage.
The first marriage of Iyanla ended in divorce. She was married to her first abusive husband for a long time. She took her three kids with her when they divorced in 1980.
7. The mother of Gemma Vanzant adopted the name Iyanla
Despite being Rhonda Eva Harris at birth, she later went by Iyanla Vanzant. In 1983, Rhonda was given the name Iyanla. The word is of Yoruba origin and means “Great mother.” After being initiated and ordained as a priestess in the Yoruba tradition, she received the title.
8. What Caused Gemmia Vanzant Mother’s Disagreement With Oprah Winfrey?
Iyanla appeared frequently on the Oprah Winfrey show for many years. She joined the program in season 12.
But over time, she developed a muteness. One theory is that it was due to rescheduling. Oprah wanted Iyanla to develop before she could host her show, despite Iyanla’s desire. She later began her show, but it only lasted two seasons. Iyanla claimed that Oprah and she were estranged as a result of her show’s failure.
For over 11 years, this rift kept them apart. In 2011, the two first interacted in person.