Andy Spade was seen leaving his Park Avenue apartment on Thursday morning wearing a bizarre mouse mask, two days after his wife’s suicide.
The grieving widower of fashion designer Kate Spade was seen sporting a yellow backpack and what appeared to be a children’s mask of cartoon mouse Bernard, dodging photographers as he got into a black SUV.
On Thursday, the NYC Office of Chief Medical Examiner determined her official cause of death as suicide by hanging.
Spade, 55, made his first public appearance since his wife’s tragic death on Wednesday and revealed details about her struggle with mental illness.
The 55-year-old dodged photographers and shielded his face as he made his way into a black SUV
The grieving widower of fashion designer Kate Spade revealed on Wednesday that the two had been living apart for some time
Andy Spade was seen wearing a yellow backpack and a mouse mask as he left his apartment on Thursday morning
Andy did not comment nor did he explain why he was wearing a mask as he hurried into the car
In a statement to the New York Times he said: ‘Kate suffered from depression and anxiety for many years. She was actively seeking help and working closely with her doctors to treat her disease, one that takes far too many lives.’
‘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 went on to reveal that there were no signs Kate had planned to take her life, and said her death had left him and their daughter Bea heartbroken.
Andy also said that the two had been living apart for some time.
‘For the past 10 months we had been living separately, but within a few blocks of each other. Bea was living with both of us and we saw each other or spoke every day,’ said Andy.
‘We ate many meals together as a family and continued to vacation together as a family. Our daughter was our priority.’
Difficult time: Andy Spade is speaking out for the first time since the death of his wife Kate on Tuesday (couple above in 2016)
First sighting: Andy Spade (above with lawyer Bruce Herzog in blue) was seen for the first time since his wife’s death on Wednesday in NYC
Low profile: Andy made no comment and kept his head down as he hurried into an apartment building on the Upper East Side (above)
He continued: ‘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. We were together for 35 years. We loved each other very much and simply needed a break.’
Andy praised his late wife as well in his remarks.
‘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,’ he noted.
‘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.’
His comments also refute claims that the designer had a drinking problem, which had been made by both Kate’s sister and TMZ.
It was also TMZ that reported that Andy had wanted to divorce his wife.