After rumors of marital problems ran rampant, Kate Spade’s husband Andy Spade has finally addressed the public. After learning of her shocking death on June 5, the co-founder of their handbag brand admitted they had been living apart, but he said he had no plans to leave his wife.

“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 said in a statement to the NYT. “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.” Andy went on to explain that though he had been living a few blocks away from Kate for the past 10 months, they were still very close. “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,” he said.

kate spade, getty

Kate with daughter Frances when she was young.

Andy went on to reveal that “Kate suffered from depression and anxiety for many years.” He insisted that she did everything she could to get better, from taking medication for her illnesses to seeing a doctor on a regular basis for the last five years. “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,” he said. “This is the truth. Anything else that is out there right now is false.” Andy believes that it was not Kate, but the personal demons she was battling, that ended her life. He spoke to her the night before and said she “sounded happy” and “there was no indication she would do this.”

News has been circulating of a suicide note, which Andy said he hasn’t seen. “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,” he said. “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.” Our heart goes out to them both in this horrible time.