Andy Spade Releases Statement On Wife Kate’s Death: ‘We Are Deeply Heartbroken’
Late designer Kate Spade's husband has released a statement in regard to his wife's death. Andy Spade says it came as a complete shock to him.
A Private Inner Struggle
The legendary designer passed away on Tuesday in New York City from an apparent suicide. Her death shocked the fashion community at large and her legions of fans all over the world.
According to her husband, however, nobody was more shocked than those closest to her. In a short, emotional statement to the New York Times, Andy divulged that the two had unofficially separated last year after over 20 years of marriage.
They had no formal plans to divorce, however, and lived just a few blocks away from each other to ease the transition in co-parenting their teenage daughter Bea.
Although Andy, who spent a total of 35 years with his wife, admitted that she had been suffering from depression and anxiety. She regularly went to see a doctor and took the necessary medication to battle her mental health issues.
Contrary to what certain outlets have reported, he also made it very clear that there were no substance abuse issues or problems with her business.
No Warning Signs
Heartbreakingly, Spade acknowledged that he had spoken to Kate just a few hours before she passed.
"We were in touch with her the night before and she sounded happy. There was no indication and no warning that she would do this. ... My daughter and I are devastated by her loss ... We are deeply heartbroken and miss her already," he explained.
Spade went on to say that he blames his late partner's condition for her demise.
"It clearly wasn't her. There were personal demons she was battling," he advised.
Spade was just 55 when she was found dead in her Manhattan apartment. She launched the Kate Spade brand with her husband in 1993, subsequently selling her shares in 2006 and starting a new line, Frances Valentine, in 2016.
The fashion designer's older sister, Reta Saffo, contradicted Andy Spade's diagnosis by telling the press that she wasn't surprised by Kate's death. That's because she knew the internal struggle her sister was dealing with her whole life.
Saffo also advised that she had helped her sister get treatment several times over the past few years and that she was worried the stress of the business would push her sister over the edge.
"All the stress/pressure of her brand ... may have flipped the switch where she eventually became full-on manic depressive," she wrote in an e-mail.
However, their older brother, Earl Brosnahan, revealed to the New York Times that Saffo has been estranged from the family for more than a decade, and Kate was the only one to keep in contact with her.
Brosnahan, along with Andy Spade, believes that Saffo is speaking entirely out of turn. Although he was aware of his late sister's depression and the breakup of her marriage, he saw her last week and said she was happily discussing the future.
The designer's brother-in-law, comedian David Spade, took to Twitter to share a photo of Kate smiling at his book signing. He discussed "Katy" at length on social media in the wake of her death.
Spade also acknowledged how funny Kate could be, while taking a moment to tell those struggling with mental illness to keep fighting.
