Jazz Thornton just won the dance reality series Dancing With the Stars New Zealand. She is a mental health activist who attempted suicide 14 times in her teenage days. Here are details of her family background.
The 27-year-old has published three books about her experience with everything. Her 2020 book Stop Surviving Start Fighting was very inspirational to many. Her book My Journey Starts Here was published in 2021 and Letters to You was published in 2022.
The mental health activist was raised by her mother after being abandoned by her father during her childhood. She was sexually assaulted by two men in her childhood. Let’s know more about the life of the DWTS NZ winner.
Was Jazz Thornton Raised By A Single Mother?
Jazz Thornton was raised by her single mother after her father abandoned the family. Her life changed dramatically following the incident, from having attempted suicide 14 times as a teenager, to winning Dancing With The Superstars New Zealand in 2022.
The mental health activist recalls the days she used to live with her mother, who single-handedly raised her. After being abandoned by her husband, Mrs. Thornton, a choir singer, bravely made the decision to raise her daughter by herself, and succeeded, despite a few hiccups along the way.
Jazz revealed that being called fatherless by bullies in her childhood had a big trauma in her life. She suffered from depression and had no one except her mother to talk to. Once when she was attempting suicide, her mother was watching tv, who hurriedly rushed her to the ER, saving her life.
Why Did Jazz Thornton Father Abandon Her Family?
Jazz Thornton and her mother were abandoned by her father when she was a child. This was one of the key reasons for her suicidal thoughts, according to Jazz.
There is not much information about the whereabouts of Jazz’s father. According to sources on the internet, her father was a pastor. He probably left his wife and daughter due to dissatisfaction and conflicts in his married life.
One thing is for sure, he must be regretting leaving his wife and daughter, who went on to become one of the most influential people in New Zealand. She went on to become the 2021 Young New Zealander of the Year and became an international sensation.
Jazz Thornton On Dancing With The Stars
The suicidal teenager Jazz Thornton never would have imagined that she would take part in a dance contest on national television. But overcoming all the personal demons and feeling herself with positivity, the once-suicidal girl went on to win Dancing with the Stars New Zealand.
Jazz has been an inspiration to millions of youths around the world. She was able to turn her life 180 degrees and went on to write three books and direct movies, and co-found the suicidal prevention organization, Voices of Hope, alongside eating disorder activist Genevieve Mora.
The DWTS NZ winner has 1.8 million followers and 96 million likes on her Tiktok. Likewise, she has 273K followers on her Instagram, @jazzthornton.
The 27-year-old was paired with the professional dancer Brad Coleman and was declared the winner of the competition which had its grand finale on May 29, 2022.