Kate Spade’s husband has said she suffered from depression and anxiety for many years before she died in an apparent suicide.
Andy Spade rejected suggestions she was abusing drugs or alcohol, or had been dealing with business problems.
The American fashion designer was seeking help during the last five years, ”seeing a doctor on a regular basis and taking medication for both depression and anxiety,” Mr Spade, who was also his wife’s business partner, said in a statement.
He said there were “personal demons she was battling.”
Ms Spade was found in the bedroom of her Park Avenue apartment on Tuesday. She was 55 years old and had a 13-year old daughter.
Ms Spade was working as an accessories editor at Mademoiselle magazine when she launched her company with her husband in their apartment in 1993.
Mr Spade said she “sounded happy” the night before her suicide.
“There was no indication and no warning that she would do this,” he said. “It was a complete shock.”
He said he and his wife had been living separately for the past 10 months but saw each other or spoke every day.
He said they were not legally separated and never discussed divorce.
Coach, now known as Tapestry, bought the Kate Spade brand last year for $2.4bn (£1.8bn). The couple recently had started a new handbag company, Frances Valentine.
“We were best friends trying to work through our problems in the best way we knew how,” Mr Spade said.
Ms Spade’s sister claimed she felt pressure to maintain her “happy-go-lucky” image matching her famous brand, which prevented her from seeking help with mental health issues.
If you have been affected by this article, you can contact the following organisations for support: mind.org.uk,beateatingdisorders.org.uk, nhs.uk/livewell/mentalhealth,mentalhealth.org.uk, samaritans.org
Additional reporting by agencies
