Atlanta lost a heartbeat. When news broke in October 2024 that the legendary radio personality Wanda Smith had died, the city didn’t just mourn a voice; it felt like losing a sister. She was a staple of V-103’s "Frank and Wanda in the Morning," a comedian who could trade barbs with the best of them, and a woman whose laugh was basically the soundtrack to a million morning commutes. Naturally, the first thing everyone wanted to know was the specific cause of death. People were scouring the internet, asking what did Wanda Smith passed away from and searching for some kind of explanation for why such a vibrant force was suddenly gone just a day after her 58th birthday.
It’s heavy. Honestly, it’s just plain sad.
Death at 58 feels wrong. It feels premature. Because she had been so open about her health struggles in the past, including a very public battle with a brain abscess years prior, the speculation mill started spinning almost immediately. But the truth, as confirmed by her husband and those close to her, was a bit more complex than a single headline could capture.
The Official Word on What Wanda Smith Passed Away From
Let’s get the facts straight. Wanda Smith’s husband, LaMorris Sellers, eventually clarified the situation to the public and media outlets like Atlanta News First. He revealed that Wanda passed away due to congestive heart failure.
It wasn't a sudden accident. It wasn't some mysterious new illness. Her heart simply couldn't keep up anymore.
Heart failure is one of those terms that sounds like a singular event, like a heart attack, but it’s actually a chronic condition where the heart muscle doesn't pump blood as well as it should. In Wanda's case, this was the culmination of various health hurdles she had been jumping over for years. She had been dealing with significant health issues that kept her out of the spotlight and away from the microphone she loved so much. By the time her 58th birthday rolled around on October 11, 2024, her body was weary. She passed away the very next day.
📖 Related: Brandi Love Explained: Why the Businesswoman and Adult Icon Still Matters in 2026
The Long Shadow of the 2017 Brain Abscess
You can't talk about her passing without looking back at 2017. That was a scary year for her fans. Wanda took an extended leave of absence from V-103, and for a long time, nobody really knew why. When she finally returned, she got real with her audience. She revealed she had been fighting a life-threatening brain abscess.
Imagine that. One day you’re cracking jokes with Frank Ski, and the next, you’re in a hospital bed facing emergency surgery.
She described the experience as a "miracle." She had to undergo deep surgery to remove the abscess, and the recovery was grueling. While she did eventually return to the airwaves, many close to the situation noted that her health was never quite the same. The strain that a major neurological event puts on the rest of the body—including the cardiovascular system—is massive. When people ask what did Wanda Smith passed away from, they are often looking for a straight line, but health is usually a web. That abscess was a major thread in the web that weakened her overall constitution.
Comedy, Controversy, and the Stress of the Public Eye
Wanda was tough. You have to be to survive in morning radio for over two decades. But the industry is also a pressure cooker. Most people remember the infamous 2018 interview with Katt Williams. It went viral for all the wrong reasons. The back-and-forth was brutal, personal, and eventually led to a confrontation outside the studio involving her husband.
Shortly after that, she was let go from V-103.
👉 See also: Melania Trump Wedding Photos: What Most People Get Wrong
Losing a job you’ve held for years is a trauma. For someone like Wanda, whose identity was so tied to being the "Queen of Atlanta Radio," that period was incredibly stressful. We know now, through endless medical studies, that chronic stress is a leading contributor to heart disease. While it didn’t "cause" her death in a clinical sense, the emotional toll of professional upheaval and public scrutiny shouldn't be ignored when looking at the bigger picture of her well-being.
The Reality of Heart Health in the Black Community
Wanda’s passing isn't just a celebrity story. It’s a health warning. Congestive heart failure disproportionately affects Black women in the United States. According to the American Heart Association, nearly half of all Black adults have some form of cardiovascular disease.
- Genetics play a role.
- Systemic disparities in healthcare access play a role.
- Diet and lifestyle are factors.
- Chronic stress (often called "weathering") speeds up the aging of the heart.
Wanda was a fighter, but she was fighting a battle that many women in her demographic face every day. By being transparent about her health over the years, she actually did a lot of "stealth" advocacy. She made people realize that even someone who seems invincible on the radio is vulnerable.
Why the "What Happened" Search is So Relentless
People don't just want the medical terminology. They want to make sense of the loss. When someone like Wanda Smith dies—someone who felt like a friend to people she never met—the "why" helps provide closure.
The confusion about what did Wanda Smith passed away from initially stemmed from the silence. Her family is private. They deserved that privacy. But in the age of social media, silence is usually filled by rumors. Some thought it was a recurrence of the brain issues; others speculated about "sudden" illness. Hearing the term "heart failure" provides a somber, definitive answer. It wasn't a fluke. It was a long-term struggle.
✨ Don't miss: Erika Kirk Married Before: What Really Happened With the Rumors
Remembering the Woman Beyond the Medical Chart
Wanda Smith was more than her health struggles. She was a philanthropist. She founded "Girls Stand Up," an organization dedicated to empowering young women. She was a mother and a wife. She was a comedian who performed at the Uptown Comedy Corner and helped put the Atlanta comedy scene on the map.
If you ever saw her live, you knew she didn't hold back. She had this way of making the entire room feel like they were in on the joke. That energy requires an immense amount of physical and emotional output. Maybe that’s why her heart gave out—she gave so much of it away to her city.
Moving Forward: Lessons from Wanda’s Journey
If we’re going to take anything away from the tragic answer to what did Wanda Smith passed away from, it should be a renewed focus on preventative health. Heart failure doesn't usually happen overnight. It's often the result of untreated high blood pressure, diabetes, or previous infections that weaken the muscle over time.
- Check your blood pressure. Seriously. It’s the "silent killer" for a reason. You won't feel it until the damage is done.
- Listen to your body. Wanda knew something was wrong in 2017 when she had those headaches. She sought help. We need to be our own best advocates.
- Manage the "Internal Weather." Stress management isn't just "self-care" fluff; it's a survival mechanism. Find a way to disconnect from the noise.
- Support local legends while they are here. Atlanta showed out for Wanda’s memorial, but the best tribute is supporting the icons of our community while they can still hear the applause.
Wanda Smith’s legacy isn't her cause of death. It’s the laughter she left behind in the 404. She was 58, she was brilliant, and she was loved. The fact that her heart stopped pumping doesn't mean her impact did.
Next time you're driving through Atlanta and you pass the V-103 studios, or you hear a comedian tell a joke that's just a little bit too honest, think of Wanda. She’d probably want you to laugh, then go get your check-up.
Key Takeaways for Your Health Journey
- Understand the signs of heart failure: Shortness of breath, chronic fatigue, and swelling in the legs or feet are major red flags.
- Acknowledge the link between past trauma and current health: Major surgeries or infections (like Wanda's abscess) can have long-tail effects on your cardiovascular system.
- Prioritize screenings: Regular EKG tests and blood work can catch the precursors to heart failure before the condition becomes irreversible.
- Advocate for yourself in clinical settings: If you feel your symptoms are being dismissed, seek a second opinion immediately. Early intervention is the only way to change the trajectory of congestive heart failure.