Less than a day after news broke that Kate Spade had died by apparent suicide in New York City, Rachel Brosnahan was among the many celebrities to mourn the fashion designer via Instagram. But for the Marvelous Mrs. Maisel star, the loss is personal: Spade, née Kate Noel Brosnahan, only 55 when she passed, was actress' aunt.
"Knowing Katy, this is how she would want to be remembered," Brosnahan wrote alongside a video of Spade dancing with husband Andy Spade during a Christmas getaway. "She had a light that words can’t capture but touched everyone she came into contact with. She was exceedingly kind, beautifully sensitive, insanely talented, funny as heck and one of the most generous people I have ever known. She was effervescent. Hug your loved ones extra tight today.
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Speaking with Page Six after Brosnahan's Golden Globe win earlier this year, Spade sounded like a beaming, proud aunt, “I am beside myself! My daughter and I jumped up and down when she won,” she told the outlet. “She deserves this recognition, as she’s put her heart and soul into the role. We are insanely proud.”
Brosnahan's words echo that of actor/comic David Spade, the designer's brother-in-law. "She was so sharp and quick on her feet. She could make me laugh so hard," he wrote next to a fuzzy, smiling photo of the two of them at Christmas. "I still cant [sic] believe it. Its a rough world out there people, try to hang on."
If you are thinking about suicide, please contact Samaritans on 116 123. All calls are free and will be answered in confidence.