Beauty
Influencer Maya Mia Found Dead As She Sometimes ‘Feared For Her Life’
“She sometimes feared for her life.”
Popular makeup artist Maja “Maya Mia” Janeska was found dead on December 2 in her home in Johannesburg, South Africa. The influencer who has over 1.2 million followers death situation was “mysterious” as reported by both her family and local media.
The 39-year-old was found with a gunshot wound to her head at her luxurious home.
Lt. Col. Mavela Masondo revealed in his statement, “Upon arrival at the address given, police found a woman in the bedroom with a gunshot wound on the head. There was a firearm next to her. The woman was certified dead by the paramedics.”
Maya Mia was reportedly living with Kyle Phillips, co-director of the Johannesburg-based tobacco manufacturer Carnilinx, a “cigarette tycoon.” The man she was dating reportedly felt “devastated” by her death and was apparently in the bathroom brushing his teeth.
Masondo refuses to reveal the owner of the firearm and explained that the particular piece of information may “jeopardize the investigation.” However, they later confirmed that currently, her death is “not being treated as suspicious at the present time.” While her partner, Phillips, is hiring his own pathologist for the autopsy.
But they’ve already informed the family members that suicide might’ve been the cause.
Her family member spoke with a South African media outlet that Maya Mia reportedly “feared for her life.”
She said, “Our phones haven’t stopped ringing — this is all new to us. We are in Europe, and our hands are tied because we can’t come to South Africa because of visa issues. [Janeska] is lying there in some mortuary, and we don’t have any clue as to what is actually happening.”
The media outlet News24’s report continued, “She sometimes feared for her life. Her boyfriend had men working for him, and she feared them also. We are heartbroken, and we seriously don’t know what to do.”
A close friend of the cigarette tycoon, South African Economic Freedom Fighters leader Julius Malema, spoke, “I haven’t spoken to Kyle, but I knew her very well.”
“We were friends. She was a very lovely lady, forward-looking and she had very good plans for the continent and the country and held our leadership in high regard.”
“She never came across to me as the type who had the potential to kill herself. She spoke her mind openly without fear and they loved each other.”
“There was nothing that suggested there were insurmountable problems that would warrant killing yourself. I don’t think there was any sign of that sort. It was a shock.”
She was the latest seen with Bujar Osmani, North Macedonia’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, as shared on her Instagram post on November 22. The makeup artist was reportedly working with the ministers on “establishing diplomatic relations between my Country Republic of North Macedonia and my second Home The Republic of South Africa.”
