Key Takeaways

Iyanla Vanzant said she skipped her daughter’s funeral to protect her emotional well-being, explaining, “My first responsibility is to take care of me.”

Vanzant mourned privately through prayer and ceremony, arguing that “funerals are for the living” and shouldn’t override personal boundaries.

She did not identify which daughter’s service she missed; Nisa Vanzant died in 2023, while Gemmia died from colon cancer in 2003.

Iyanla Vanzant is opening up about why she skipped her daughter's funeral, revealing that protecting her own emotional well-being took priority over attending the service. During a candid conversation on The Jason Lee Show , the longtime spiritual adviser explained that she chose to mourn privately rather than participate in a ceremony she didn't believe would be healthy for her.

"My first responsibility is to take care of me," Vanzant told Lee.…