UPDATE: Andy Spade released a statement on June 6, claiming that he has yet to see a note left by Kate at the time of her death. He told Variety, “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.”
Kate Spade, who passed away earlier today at the age of 55 by an apparent suicide, reportedly left a note for her daughter, Frances Beatrice Spade (Bea), 13. “Bea – I have always loved you. This is not your fault. Ask Daddy!” the note said, according TMZ. Bea’s dad is Andy Spade, Kate’s husband and business partner. The two were married in 1994, after launching their fashion and accessories empire, kate spade new york, in 1993. News broke today that Kate Spade was found dead in her Park Avenue apartment by a housekeeper. The gruesome details revealed that she was found cold to the touch, with a red scarf around her neck tied to a closet door knob in her bedroom. The housekeeper rushed downstairs to the building’s superintendent who cut Kate down and started to perform CPR, also per TMZ. However, it was too late.
HollywoodLife.com learned exclusively that friends of the late designer are in complete shock. “This is completely unexpected,” a source revealed. “She was not a depressed person. This is so absolutely shocking. We had no idea she was feeling this way.” Kate’s husband Andy arrived at their apartment after his wife was discovered, while their daughter was in school when news broke. After Kate sold her company kate spade new york to Neiman Marcus in 2006 for $93 million, she took 10 years off from the industry to raise her daughter, who was born in February 2005. In 2016, she and her partners launched Frances Valentine, another accessories brand. Their most recent collection was called “Where Is Kate Spade?” to celebrate the two year anniversary of the brand.
After creating Frances Valentine, Kate raved to The Cut about her relationship with her daughter and about balancing business and motherhood “It’s a thing that Andy and I decided to do when she was little,” the designer said. “When she got older and she had all these activities, it became a little more difficult, but I still made it a point to have our dining-room table set, just so she knows that there’s structure. We want to sit together as a family and talk about our days.”
We have reached out to the NYPD to confirm the contents of the suicide note. If you or someone you know is considering suicide, please contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255).