#Jas Waters, ‘This Is Us’ and ‘Kidding’ writer, dead at 39

By Rachael Ellenbogen, The Sun

Jas Waters, a writer on “This Is Us” and “Kidding,” has reportedly passed away at age 39.

While the cause of death has not yet been revealed, friends and coworkers began sharing tributes to Jas, aka JasFly, who was also an alum of the VH1 reality series “Gossip Game,” on Wednesday afternoon.

At the time of her death, she was working as a story editor and writer for Showtime’s half-hour dramedy “Kidding,” starring Jim Carrey and Judy Greer.

Prior to joining the team, she was a staff writer on NBC’s popular family drama “This Is Us” from 2017 to 2018.

Her “devastated” former NBC co-writers confirmed the sad news with a collective statement about her passing on social media, writing: “In our time together, Jas left her mark on us and ALL over the show.

“She was a brilliant storyteller and a force of nature. We send our deepest sympathies to her loved ones. She was one of us. RIP @JasFly.”

Showrunner Dan Fogelman added: “This news took my breath away. Jas was absolutely brilliant and had so many stories still to tell.

“She made an indelible mark on our show and my heart breaks for her loved ones.”

Jas helped develop the story idea for Taraji P. Henson’s “What Women Want” revamp, “What Men Want,” along with the film’s co-writer Tina Gordon.

In 2017, she was also a staff writer on Comedy Central’s sketch comedy “Hood Adjacent” and on VH1’s hourlong drama “The Breaks.”

She co-authored “The Art & Science of Respect,” a memoir for Rap-A-Lot Records owner James Prince.

Jas also contributed to a novel by motivational speaker Rob Hill Sr called “The Missing Piece: Finding The Better Part Of Me: A Love Journey.”

Before becoming a VH1 reality star or a writer-director-producer, Jas created her own entertainment blog titled FlyStyleLife in 2007, which eventually led to her landing her own VIBE Magazine column.