Andy Spade, the husband and partner to the late accessories designer Kate Spade, has broken his silence for the first time since his wife’s passing on Tuesday. In a statement provided to The New York Times, Andy called his wife “the most beautiful woman in the world.”

In his statement, Andy says, “Kate was the most beautiful woman in the world. She was the kindest person I’ve ever known and my best friend for 35 years. My daughter 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 then explained that his wife had suffered from “depression and anxiety for many years,” adding that she was actively seeking help and working closely with medical professionals.

“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. It was a complete shock. And it clearly wasn’t her. There were personal demons she was battling,” he added.

Andy also stated that the couple had been living separately for the last 10 months. Their daughter, Frances, lived between the two homes, which were just a few blocks apart. According to Andy, he still spoke to his wife every day, ate meals alongside her and continued to vacation together as a family.

“We were not legally separated, and never even discussed divorce,” he said in the statement. “We were best friends trying to work through our problems in the best way we knew how. We were together for 35 years. We loved each other very much and simply needed a break.”

To clear up tabloid rumors about his wife’s death, Andy added that everything besides these facts is false.

“She was actively seeking help for depression and anxiety over the last 5 years, seeing a doctor on a regular basis and taking medication for both depression and anxiety. There was no substance or alcohol abuse. There were no business problems. We loved creating our businesses together,” he wrote. And, perhaps most distressing of all, he added “…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.”

Andy closed the message by saying his main concern is now with his daughter. He signed off with, “Kate loved Bea so very much.”

Following the news of the designer’s alleged suicide, women across generations took to social media to share their memories of the designer and just how much owning a bag she so carefully designed meant to them.

Related Content:
How Kate Spade Built an Empire: A Timeline
My First Kate Spade: 12 Women on How the Designer Impacted Their Personal Style
How Kate Spade Fans Are Paying Tribute to the Late Designer

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