Jill Janus, lead singer of the heavy metal band Huntress, has died at age 43, her family and band said Thursday.
Janus had long struggled with mental Illness, and killed herself outside Portland, Oregon, on Tuesday, her relatives and bandmates said in a statement released through publicist Alexandra Greenberg.
Janus fronted Huntress from the group's inception in Los Angeles in 2009, singing on three full-length albums and on tours with bands including Motorhead and Lamb of God.
FILE - In this Sept. 24, 2016 file photo, Jill Janus of Huntress performs at Ozzfest 2016 at San Manuel Amphitheater in San Bernardino, Calif. Janus, lead singer of the heavy metal band Huntress, has died at age 43. A statement from Janus' bandmates and family released Thursday, Aug. 16, 2018, through publicist Alexandra Greenberg said Janus had long struggled with mental illness, and killed herself outside Portland, Ore., on Tuesday, Aug. 14. (Amy HarrisInvisionAP, File)
Founding member Blake Meahl said on his Facebook page Thursday that he and Janus "spent 9 years together creating a home, having a family and building our passion project Huntress. The devastation of knowing I will never see her again is the most gutting emotion i have ever experienced."
"I hope you have found the peace that you couldn't find on this planet" Meahl added.
The band's sound was classic thrash-inflected metal, with Janus, one of the few female vocalists in the genre, screaming through songs like "Spell Eater," ''Eight of Swords," and "Sorrow" with her long blonde hair and tight, black leather stage suits.
FILE - In this June 13, 2013 file photo, Jill Janus arrives for the Kerrang! Awards 2013 in London. Janus, lead singer of the heavy metal band Huntress, has died at age 43. A statement from Janus' bandmates and family released Thursday, Aug. 16, 2018, through publicist Alexandra Greenberg said Janus had long struggled with mental illness, and killed herself outside Portland, Ore., on Tuesday, Aug. 14. (Photo by Jonathan ShortInvisionAP, File)
She also sang in an all-female metal band known as The Starbreakers on the side.
Janus had been an advocate for mental health and encouraged fans who were suffering to seek help. Her struggles with bi-polar disorder nearly brought an end to the band in 2018, but they returned for another album and more touring.
The family statement urges those considering harming themselves to call the national suicide-prevention hotline .
Veteran U.S. pilot Kaillie Humphries Armbruster got her second two-woman World Cup bobsled win of the season on Sunday, shortly before German star Francesco Friedrich's streak of 48 consecutive medal-winning finishes on the circuit came to an end.
Humphries Armbruster teamed with Jasmine Jones to win by the slimmest of margins in bobsled — one one-hundredth of a second. They finished two runs at St. Moritz, Switzerland, in 2 minutes, 18.40 seconds, while the Swiss team of Melanie Hasler and Nadja Pasternack was second in 2:18.41.
Laura Nolte and Leonie Kluwig of Germany were third in 2:18.43. The 0.03-second margin between the three medal-winning sleds was the closest in a World Cup race since 0.02 seconds separated the top three finishers in a two-man race at Whistler, Canada, on Jan. 23, 2016.
It was the 32nd World Cup win for Humphries Armbruster and the first for Jones.
"I knew that Kaillie and I could do it with fast pushes and a great drive,” Jones said.
Kaysha Love and Emily Renna were eighth for the U.S. in the two-woman race, while Elana Meyers Taylor and rookie bobsledder Jadin O'Brien — a national champion in track at Notre Dame — were 10th.
In the four-man race, Friedrich drove his sled to a sixth-place finish — his lowest in a World Cup two- or four-man event since January 2023. He had 19 golds, 22 silvers and seven bronzes in that 48-race streak since; one of those golds was later taken away following sanctions against a German brakeman.
Instead, it was Adam Ammour of Germany driving to the win — the first four-man victory of his career. Johannes Lochner of Germany drove to second and Michael Vogt of Switzerland was third.
Frank Del Duca was 16th for the U.S., which will unveil its Olympic teams for the Milan Cortina Games next week.
USA Luge's women's doubles team of Chevonne Forgan and Sophia Kirkby are going to the Olympics. The Milan Cortina Games will be the first to include women's doubles as a medal event.
Only 11 sleds are going to the Olympics in women's doubles, primarily the top-ranked sled from each competing nation. That means the U.S. team of Maya Chan and Sophia Gordon — a contending sled all season with more than enough standings points to qualify — likely won't compete at the Olympics, unless some nations decline their spot in the Milan Cortina field.
Also Olympics-bound for the U.S.: the men's doubles teams of Marcus Mueller and Ansel Haugsjaa, plus 2022 Olympians Zack DiGregorio and Sean Hollander.
The team will be unveiled by USA Luge on Monday and likely to be officially nominated by the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee later this week.
In a World Cup women's doubles race at Winterberg, Germany, on Sunday, Jessica Degenhardt and Cheyenne Rosenthal from the host nation won in 1:26.710, followed by Selina Egle and Lara Kipp of Austria and Dajana Eitberger and Magdalena Matschina of Germany.
Germany also won the men's doubles World Cup race, with Tobias Wendl and Tobias Arlt prevailing in 1:25.599. Austria took silver and bronze; Thomas Steu and Wolfgang Kindl were second, Juri Gatt and Riccardo Schoepf were third.
Mueller and Haugsjaa were the top U.S. men's doubles sled, placing 10th.
Germany finished off a sweep of the day with a win in the team relay, with Austria second and Italy third. The U.S. was fourth.
Luge: World Cup men’s singles, women's singles Saturday at Oberhof, Germany.
Bobsled: World Cup monobob, two-man races Saturday at Altenberg, Germany.
Skeleton: Men’s, women’s and mixed World Cup races on Friday at Altenberg.
AP Olympics: https://apnews.com/hub/milan-cortina-2026-winter-olympics
Austria's Selina Egle and Lara Michaela Kipp race through the ice channel, during the Women's doubles 1st run, at the Luge World Cup, in Winterberg, Germany, Sunday, Jan. 11, 2026. (David Inderlied/dpa via AP)
Juri Thomas Gatt, left, and Riccardo Schöpf of Austria celebrate their third place in the doubles men competition of the Luge World Cup in Winterberg, Germany, Sunday Jan. 11, 2026. (David Inderlied/dpa via AP)
Tobias Wendl and Tobias Arlt of Germany celebrate their victory in the doubles men competition of the Luge World Cup in Winterberg, Germany, Sunday Jan. 11, 2026. (David Inderlied/dpa via AP)
Kaillie Armbruster Humphries of the USA in action, during the Women's Mono-Bob World Cup, in St. Moritz, Switzerland, Saturday, Jan. 10, 2026. (Mayk Wendt/Keystone via AP)
Kaillie Armbruster Humphries/Jasmine Jones o thef USA in action during the Women's 2-Bob World Cup, in St. Moritz, Switzerland, Sunday, Jan. 11, 2026. (Mayk Wendt/Keystone via AP)
