Madison Taylor Cupps Obituary
Madison Taylor Cupps, 26, passed away on April 10, 2026 at her residence in Reno, Nevada. She was born on May 24, 1999, in Mountain View, California to parents Autumn and Bryan Cupps. Madison entered the world as a preemie with twin-to-twin transfusion syndrome, a fighter from her very first breath—a spirit that stayed with her throughout her short life.
Madison, nicknamed "Madisonshine" and "Sunny," grew up in Santa Cruz, California where her love for the beach and Redwoods took root and made her a vibrant, free spirit as well as gave her a deep appreciation for nature. A true creative soul, Madison found joy in art, writing, hula-hooping, cooking, and music. She loved to sing and aspired to have a career in music influenced by her favorites, Lana Del Rey, Chappell Roan, and twenty one pilots. She released several songs under the stage name "Madison Clares" that will live on to immortalize her. She was also an incredibly talented artist with a passion that extended into the world of tattoos. She proudly wore many tattoos (including a few she regretted and went through the process of removing) and she considered becoming a tattoo artist. Madison had an impressive "green thumb" and could, ironically, bring anything to life. She loved iced coffee, elephants, memes, fashion, the show "The Office," and making people laugh. She had a witty and dark sense of humor, a beautiful smile, and a contagious laugh.
From an early age, Madison displayed an uncommon intellect and an enduring love for the game of chess. Madison's parents love to recount the story of when Madison played chess with her kindergarten teacher for the first time and beat him. He was dumbfounded because he had been on the chess team in college and she was five years old. In second and third grades, she was afforded the incredible opportunity to be trained by a chess master.
Madison had a strong faith in God from the time she was a small child although she did not attend a specific church. She was baptized at a church in Reno, NV in 2023. She was a member of Job's Daughters in Santa Cruz, when she was a child. Madison was a lesbian and proud member of the LGBTQ community and had dreams of becoming a wife and mother in her future. She adored her family, especially her little brother, Kyle and his "big squeezie hugs.". She shared a special bond with her black cat, Obsidian, who brought her comfort and companionship.
Tragically, Madison made some bad decisions when she was a young teenager, and they would prove to be irreversible. She suffered from a drug-induced psychotic break when she was 17 and though her doctor said the Madison everyone knew and loved was gone then, she was a fighter and the medications worked. Unfortunately, Madison did not like the side effects of the anti-psychotic medications and refused to take them or try a different one. She spiraled into mania, schizophrenia, and anosognosia and never recovered, which devastatingly resulted in her taking her own life. The truth is that mental illness murdered Madison. Her family does not want to "sugar coat" the tragedy and is hoping that even one person can be spared or make different choices due to her life's cautionary tale. At the end, Madison only had a few close friends who were genuine and an unfortunate internet following who validated her delusions and wouldn't help her get help as they tried to capitalize on her sickness, and now her death. She severed ties with most of the people who cared about her and knew her in real life—her family, friends, and co-workers.
Madison is survived by her parents, Bryan and Autumn Cupps, her identical mirror twin, Maison, her brothers Brackett and Kyle, and her sisters Amy, Sarah, and Natalie. She is also survived by her grandparents, many aunts, uncles, cousins, and nephews. Madison is preceded in death by her triplet who died in utero and her beloved cat, Obsidian.
Madison's family is crushed and heartbroken but realize God answered their prayers for her remarkable mind to be restored, just not the way they thought, as Madison is Home and whole with Jesus in a glorified body with a renewed soul (not that God caused her death but that. He uses for good what was meant for evil.).
Madison's earthly body has been cremated, and a celebration of her life will be held at a later time. Her family would like to thank Sonoma Funeral Home for taking care of her and are especially grateful to the Armstrong family for their incredible generosity and support. If you would like to contribute to Madison's funeral home expenses, you may Venmo @Julia-Armstrong-12 or PayPal @AutumnCupps.
