Juice WRLD's Girlfriend Ally Lotti Breaks Silence After Late Rapper's Death: 'He Loved You Guys'
Juice WRLD‘s girlfriend Ally Lotti honored the late rapper on Sunday, speaking out in public for the first time since his untimely death.
During an appearance at the Rolling Loud festival in Los Angeles, Lotti took the stage to remember Juice WRLD (né Jarad Anthony Higgins), who died suddenly at the age of 21 on Dec. 8.
“I just wanted to come out here and let everyone know that Jarad loved every single person that he helped on this earth,” she told the crowd gathered at the Banc of California Stadium, according to an online fan video. “He literally loved every single one of you guys.”
Lotti felt that love too, going on to say, “There is not a time when he had shown me any different love than he felt for you.”
She ended her short speech by pointing out how Juice WRLD had always preached positivity, even using the number “999” as an example of how to flip a negative into a positive.
“He wants everyone to know that you need to take any negative, any negative thing in your life — he would tell you every time he saw you — and change that to a positive situation,” Lotti said. “Change that to 999. You’ve got to keep that in your heart.”
RELATED: Everything to Know About Rapper Juice WRLD After His Death at 21
Lotti and the “Lucid Dreams” rapper’s relationship goes back to November 2018, according to photos shared on social media.
The two were open with their romance online, Lotti calling the young star her “soul mate” and the rapper referring to her as one of the two “most beautiful important women in my life” (next to his mother).
“Blessed to b part of your wrld,” she wrote in December 2018. “You’re asleep right next to me and I can’t help but sit here admiring how you blow me away every single second of each day. I’m forever grateful for you Jarad.”
“Everyday is different day, but our love never changes, this is forever,” she said in another post in March — adding in May, “You make me so proud, everyday ♾ I love you.”
Juice WRLD shared romantic photos and messages of his own, posting on Instagram in October: “Sometimes it feels like the worlds against me and I feel so empty, but when you are with me, it fills me and exposes the real me.”
“Don’t you let go of my heart,” he added in September.
A post shared by Juice WRLD 9 9 9 (@juicewrld999) on Aug 4, 2019 at 10:32am PDT
A post shared by ally lotti (@allylotti) on Dec 2, 2018 at 7:32am PST
A post shared by Juice WRLD 9 9 9 (@juicewrld999) on Sep 28, 2019 at 5:33pm PDT
Juice WRLD died on Sunday, Dec. 8, shortly after reportedly having a seizure at Chicago’s Midway Airport. A spokesperson for the Cook County Medical Examiner’s Office confirmed to PEOPLE that he was pronounced dead at 3:14 a.m. early that morning at Advocate Christ Medical Center.
He was laid to rest on Friday during an open-casket funeral at Holy Temple Cathedral Church of God in Harvey, Illinois, near his Chicago hometown.
In the funeral program obtained by TMZ, his mother, Carmela Wallace, left an emotional tribute to her son, writing, “My dear son Jarad, God trusted me to raise you and I poured all I had into you as the Lord guided me. We were inseparable and even though you left home early, we were always in each other’s hearts and always had a special bond.”
“We were always overjoyed to see each other, and you still called me ‘mommy’ as you hugged and kiss me when you saw me,” the rapper’s mother continued. “Your love was pure and innocent, and your heart was genuine. You truly cared about people and wanted to make the world a better place.”
“I am going to miss you dearly,” she added. “Rest in peace my dear one; mommy loves you.”
RELATED: Remembering the Stars We Lost in 2019
Juice WRLD’s siblings — Brian, Alyssa and Maya Wallace — left a joint message dedicated to their brother in the funeral program as well. Opening with a Plato quote, their message read, “Music gives a soul to the universe, wings to the mind, fight to the imagination and life to everything.”
“Jarad, you brought life, light and laughter to everyone you met. We will carry you in our hearts always. We love you,” they concluded.
His grandma Cecilia Darden also left a touching message which said, “My dear Grandson, you brought smiles, laughter and love into [our] lives.”
The message continued, “I loved being a part of your life and watching the happy little boy grow up to become a thoughtful, caring and a talented young man. Thank you for all the love and joy that you gave us. I am happy that you got a chance to live out your dreams.”
“You would always end our phone conversations with, ‘I miss you Grandma,'” she concluded. “My love for you will never end, and I miss you Jarad, my dear Grandson.”
The program also included black-and-white portraits of the late rapper, along with photo collages of the Chicago native and his loved ones.
RELATED: Nicki Minaj Calls Juice WRLD a ‘Kindred Spirit’ in Emotional Speech After His Death
A cause of death for Juice WRLD has officially been deferred pending additional studies, the Cook County Medical Examiner’s Office previously told PEOPLE. Those studies include cardiac pathology, neuropathology, toxicology and histology.
Outlets including TMZ, the Chicago Tribune and the Chicago Sun Times have reported that FBI agents were confiscating drugs and guns from his private jet when the rapper began to seize.
His mom gave a statement to TMZ on Dec. 12, explaining that her son battled a drug addiction and that his family was learning to cope with the loss.
“We loved Jarad with all of our hearts and cannot believe our time with him has been cut short,” she said in the statement. “As he often addressed in his music and to his fans, Jarad battled with prescription drug dependency.”
She added, “Addiction knows no boundaries and its impact goes way beyond the person fighting it. Jarad was a son, brother, grandson, friend and so much more to so many people who wanted more than anything to see him defeat addiction.”
If you or someone you know is struggling with addiction, please contact the SAMHSA substance abuse helpline at 1-800-662-HELP.
