Kate Spade and husband of 24 years Andy Spade had been dealing with marital problems months before her death Before Kate Spade‘s death, the designer and her husband of 24 years Andy Spade had been planning to file for divorce, a source confirms to PEOPLE. “They both had lawyers and were divorcing,” a source tells PEOPLE. “But they hadn’t filed yet.” Get push notifications with news, features and more. The couple’s marital problems had become so difficult, The Blast reported, that in the months prior to Kate’s suicide, Andy had started looking to purchase a new one or two-bedroom apartment in Manhattan. “Kate and Andy were having relationship problems,” another source told PEOPLE. Late Wednesday, Andy released a statement addressing his wife’s passing and also denying they were planning on getting a divorce despite living apart for 10 months. “We were not legally separated, and never even discussed divorce,” he said in the statement provided to PEOPLE. 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 continued. But from the outside, Kate and Andy’s marriage and family life appeared to be picturesque, according to friends of the couple. “They seemed to be the perfect, happy family,” actress and longtime friend of Kate, Cornelia Guest told PEOPLE, adding, “Nobody knows what’s going on with someone. When the doors close, you never know.” Kate once told PEOPLE the secret to their happy marriage was “taking their vows seriously.” “We laugh a lot,” said Spade, who welcomed daughter Frances Beatrix Spade in 2005. “And my daughter has a really funny sense of humor. But when we need to be serious we’re serious, and she can tell the difference, but I think we’ve had a lot of fun. And then also, you know, you take the good with the bad. You take those vows seriously. Through good and bad.” Looking for more style content? Click here to subscribe to the PeopleStyle Newsletter for amazing shopping discounts, can’t-live-without beauty products and more. RELATED VIDEO: Kate Spade’s Husband Reveals She Battled Depression, Says They’d Been Living Apart for 10 Months Police confirmed Kate was found dead Tuesday morning of an apparent suicide at her and Andy’s Park Avenue home in Manhattan. No one was home at her time of death. A housekeeper discovered her, according to a police source, and she left a suicide note for her husband and their only child Frances Beatrix, 13. Kate Spade, née Katherine Noel Brosnahan, was the designer behind her successful namesake label, Kate Spade New York, which she co-founded in 1993 with her then-boyfriend Andy, combining her first and his last names. “My Catholic parents…I told my mom and honestly, she burst into flames,” Kate recalled in NPR’s How I Built This podcast of the moment she told her parents the name of their brand. “She said, ‘But you’re not Kate Spade! Oh, now you’ll never be Kate Spade, now you’ve jinxed it. And why would you name it Kate Spade?’ And I said, Well, it’s my first name, his last name, it’s like Dolce & Gabbana, and she goes, ‘Who the hell’s that?’” The line began by designing its famously colorful handbags before expanding into other accessories and clothing, ultimately turning into a billion-dollar brand. Tapestry, Inc. bought Kate Spade in July 2017 for $2.4 billion. In 2016, Kate shared the advice for working with your husband, telling PEOPLE, “Treat them as well as you would any other employee. What I mean is we need to respect one another as much as you do the other people in the office. I’ve had to learn to be as respectful.”<doc-sep>Spade, 55, considered one of the world’s most famous designers and known for her signature sleek handbags, died Tuesday after hanging herself with a scarf in her bedroom.<doc-sep>Click to email this to a friend (Opens in new window) Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) Kate Spade’s estranged husband, Andy, emerged Wednesday from his Upper East Side apartment building about a dozen blocks from the marital home where Kate was discovered dead from a suicide on Tuesday. The pair had been separated for about six months, fashion industry insiders said. Police sources said Andy was also seeking a divorce. He had reportedly been living near the 850 Park Ave. building where Kate hanged herself with a scarf from a doorknob. The tired-looking entrepreneur carried an unopened Starbucks Doubleshot and wore blue jeans, a striped shirt with tan jacket and chukka boots as he emerged from the building that appears to be his bachelor pad. “Thanks,” he said when a reporter offered condolences but otherwise refused to comment. A suicide note Kate left instructed the couple’s 13-year-old daughter Frances Beatrix Spade: “This has nothing to do with you. Don’t feel guilty. Ask your dad,” police sources told The Post. Additional reporting by Tina Moore and Ian Mohr<doc-sep>Andy Spade, the husband of the designer Kate Spade who died on Tuesday in New York City, addressed his wife’s depression and treatment, the status of their marriage, and their lives as long-time collaborators. Here is his statement in full. 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. 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. 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. We ate many meals together as a family and continued to vacation together as a family. Our daughter was our priority. 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. This is the truth. Anything else that is out there right now 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. We were co-parenting our beautiful daughter. 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. My main concern is Bea and protecting her privacy as she deals with the unimaginable grief of losing her mother. Kate loved Bea so very much.<doc-sep>
Marital issues were at the root of Kate Spade’s problems before her suicide, according to a new report, which claims that Andy Spade’s desire for a divorce allegedly plunged Kate into depression. UPDATE: Andy Spade released a statement on June 6, clarifying the status of his marriage and denying claims he was planning to divorce Kate Spade before she died. “For the past 10 months we had been living separately, but within a few blocks of each other,” the statement shared with Variety read. “Bea was living with both of us and we saw each other or spoke every day. We ate many meals together as a family and continued to vacation together as a family. Our daughter was our priority. We were not legally separated, and never even discussed divorce.” ORIGINAL: Before Kate Spade died, she was reportedly separated from her husband of 24 years, Andy Spade, according to TMZ. The site reports that Andy and Kate were living separately at the time of the 55-year-old’s death, and that Andy wanted to make the split official with a divorce. The situation reportedly left Kate “extremely depressed” in her final days. The alleged marital issues between Andy and Kate have been widely reported, although The Blast claims Andy was just looking for a new apartment at the time, and had not moved out yet, as TMZ claims. As we previously reported, Kate was found dead of apparent suicide by her housekeeper in her New York City apartment on June 5. She allegedly hung herself with a scarf on a doorknob. Although they were reportedly living separately, Andy was reportedly in the apartment when Kate died, according to the Associated Press. The iconic designer left a suicide note addressed to her and Andy’s daughter, Frances Beatrice Spade (Bea), which allegedly read, “Bea – I have always loved you. This is not your fault. Ask Daddy!” Officials confirmed there was a note left at the scene, but would not reveal what it said. Bea was at school when Kate was found in her bedroom during the 10:00 a.m. hour. If you or someone you know is considering suicide, please contract the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255).