"This is not your fault. Ask Daddy!” Kate Spade leaves a heartbreaking note for her daughter before committing suicide
Kate Spade was found dead in her New York City apartment on Tuesday (June 5) morning. The police reported the cause of death as a suicide and according to TMZ, Kate had left a note for her 13-year-old daughter, Frances Beatrice Spade. “Bea – I have always loved you. This is not your fault. Ask Daddy!” the note reportedly read, as per Hollywood Life. It has been reported that Kate's husband Andy Spade had been present at home at the time of her death.
Meanwhile, her daughter was at school. Andy reportedly went to pick up his daughter accompanied by police. Kate hanged herself in her Upper East Side home and her body was found by her housekeeper at 10.20 am (ET). Police had said that upon arriving they found Kate's body hanging from a scarf. It is then that they found the note Kate had left behind.
In a statement, Kate's family said, “We loved Kate dearly and will miss her terribly. We would ask that our privacy is respected as we grieve during this very difficult time.” Andy and Kate had been married for more than decades. The two were college sweethearts who went on to get married and later become business partners. In 1993, Kate and Andy launched Kate Spade Handbags which blossomed into a world-renowned clothing and jewelry line.
Kate Spade New York has over 140 retail shops in and around the US and more than 175 outside. However, after some time Kate decided to take time off business and focus on raising their daughter. Years later, she decided to come back in the industry to launch a new accessory, handbag and shoe brand, Frances Valentine, named after her daughter. “I needed a break and I really wanted to raise my daughter,” she told People in 2016. “People asked me, ‘Don’t you miss it?’ I really didn’t. I mean, I loved what I was doing, but I didn’t miss it as much as I thought I might.”
Actor and brother-in-law David Spade was also shocked by the news and took to social media to share some fond memories of Kate, remembering how funny she was. The actor captioned an image of the two of them on Instagram saying: “Fuzzy picture but I love it. Kate and I during Christmas family photos. We had so much fun that day. She was so sharp and quick on her feet. She could make me laugh so hard.”
As soon as the news about her death came to light, many heartbroken fans and friends took to Twitter to express their condolences to the family. "Ask any girl around my age about getting her first boxy Kate Spade bag and she’ll probably have a story to tell you. It was a magnificently simple cultural marker," wrote Twitter user Abby Gardner. Actress Mindy Kaling also took to Twitter to express her sadness as she wrote, "I am heartbroken about the news of Kate Spade. I have worn her clothes many, many times. They were colorful, bold, cheerful, and encouraged women to find the twinkly person inside them. You couldn’t walk into her boutiques and not smile. Rest In Peace, Kate."