Former 'American Idol' contestant Joanne Borgella dies at 32

[October 20, 2014] LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Singer and model Joanne Borgella, who competed on "American Idol" in 2008, died on Saturday at age 32 after a battle with cancer, her family said on her Facebook page.

"With heavy hearts, we are deeply saddened to announce the passing of our beloved Joanne," the family said in a statement, which did not say where Borgella had died.

The Long Island, New York-born Borgella made it to the top 24 on "American Idol" in 2008, three years after she appeared on reality series "Mo'Nique's Fat Chance" and won its contest to find the ideal plus-sized model. In recent years, she had modeled professionally and launched her own clothing line.

Borgella last year shared a video with her fans to say she was diagnosed with cancer and that it had spread to her chest. She had since chronicled her treatment on her Facebook page.

(Reporting by Alex Dobuzinskis in Los Angeles; Editing by Robert Birsel)

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