Andy Spade said his wife designer Kate Spade “sounded happy” the night before she died of an apparent suicide.
The fashion icon’s husband issued a statement a day after Kate was found dead in her New York City apartment by a housekeeper, in which he shared he spoke to her the night before she took her life, and seemed in good spirits.
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“We were in touch with her the night before and she sounded happy,” he wrote in a statement released by Variety. “There was no indication and no warning that she would do this. It was a complete shock. And it clearly wasn’t her. There were personal demons she was battling.”
Andy also wrote about the grief he and 13-year-old daughter Frances Beatrix are experiencing since Kate’s death, as well as her ongoing battle with depression.
“My daughter [Frances Beatrix] and I are devastated by her loss, and can’t even begin to fathom life without her. We are deeply heartbroken and miss her already,” he added.
“Kate suffered from depression and anxiety for many years,” Spade wrote. “She was actively seeking help and working closely with her doctors to treat her disease, one that takes far too many lives.
The businessman also clarified conflicting reports about his relationship with Kate. He wrote the couple had lived separately for almost a year, but were not legally separated. There were no plans to divorce, they just “needed a break” to “work through” various problems.
“For the past 10 months we had been living separately, but within a few blocks of each other,” Spade wrote. “Bea was living with both of us and we saw each other or spoke every day. We ate many meals together as a family and continued to vacation together as a family. Our daughter was our priority.”
He continued by denying any speculation that the two were separated.
“We were not legally separated, and never even discussed divorce. We were best friends trying to work through our problems in the best way we knew how,” he said. “We were together for 35 years. We loved each other very much and simply needed a break.”
Spade finished his statement by debunking rumors that Kate left a suicide note addressed to her daughter.
“I have yet to see any note left behind and am appalled that a private message to my daughter has been so heartlessly shared with the media,” Spade said.
If you or someone you know needs help, please call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255).
