Cry For Help! Natalie Cole's Pals Were 'Shocked' By Her Frail Body Before Death

Natalie Cole's closest friends barely recognized the nine-time grammy winner around the time she hit rock bottom, according to what insiders reveal in a new series by Reelz.

"I think she suffered from — of all people and all things — suffered from lack of self-confidence," singer and friend, Peabo Bryson, said on camera. But around 1982, her friends' worst fears about her were coming true.

PHOTOS: Unforgettable! Inside Natalie Cole's Heartbreaking Funeral

"I saw her and I was just really shocked at the physical toll — whatever she was doing at that particular time — had done," Bryson went on. "I wasn't accustomed to seeing her that thin. I think it was at a point when she really wanted help. I think it was a cry for help."

As OK! previously reported, despite her rising fame, Natalie's struggle with drug addiction threatened her career and life at every turn — until it all ended when she died in 2015 after she suffered an "extraordinary chain reaction of medical conditions."

EXCLUSIVE: Natalie Cole In Wheelchair After Kidney Failure Reports 

In a brand-new series by Reelz, her closest friends recall just how frightening it was to watch Nat 'King' Cole's daughter's dark past rapidly catch up with her at age 65.

Watch the sneak peek video above.

Tune in to Autopsy: Natalie Cole on Saturday, May 27, at 8 p.m. ET/PT on Reelz.