David Bowie died three days after his 69th birthday in 2016, about 18 months after he was diagnosed with cancer.<br /><br />The iconic musician kept his terminal illness hidden from even his closest friends, prompting Autopsy’s Dr. Michael Hunter to believe he could have been masking another horrific condition: schizophrenia.<br /><br />Much of Bowie’s family suffered from the mental illness, which according to professionals is characterized by paranoia, delusions, and hallucinations.<br /><br />“Your ability to understand reality becomes distorted, and it can be a very frightening condition to deal with,” says Hunter in a video teaser for REELZ’s new docuseries, Autopsy: David Bowie.<br /><br />“Three of David Bowie’s aunts, at various times, were diagnosed with having different kinds of mental illness and schizophrenia was a theme running through that side of the family,” says Bowie Biographer, Christopher Sandford.<br /><br />“The ‘mad aunts’ David used to call them,” recalls Music Journalist Lesley-Ann Jones.<br /><br />“His half-brother Terry was afflicted, was institutionalized and did eventually commit suicide,” explains Jones.<br /><br />Did David Bowie secretly suffer from the debilitating illness, and did it play a part in his tragic death?<br /><br />Autopsy: David Bowie airs Sunday, June 17 at 9:00 ET/ PT on REELZ.<br /><br />We pay for juicy info! Do you have a story for RadarOnline.com? Email us at tips@radaronline.com, or call us at 800-344-9598 any time, day or night.
