LONDON – Stella Tennant took her own life last month, according to a statement her family made to The Telegraph on Wednesday.
Tennant died a few days after his 50th birthday. Her family told the British newspaper that she was struggling with mental health problems. Tennant leaves her four children, her husband David Lasnet, her parents Tobias Tennant and Lady Emma Cavendish, a brother and sister.
The newspaper quoted the family as saying: “We have been humble with the outpouring of messages of sympathy and support since Stella’s death.
“She was a beautiful soul, adored by a close family and good friends, a sensitive and talented woman whose creativity, intelligence and humor touched so many.
“Stella hasn’t been well in a while. Therefore, it is a matter of our deepest sadness and despair that she felt unable to continue, despite the love of those closest to her. In mourning the loss of Stella, her family renews a sincere request that respect for their privacy must continue. “
Tennant, an androgynous beauty who burst onto the fashion scene in the early 1990s, quickly became a muse for designers as diverse as Karl Lagerfeld, Gianni Versace and Riccardo Tisci. She continued to model after marrying and having children, and also designed for the outdoor clothing brand owned by Chanel and gun maker Holland & Holland.
She was found dead at her home in Duns, Scotland, on the Scottish Borders, on December 22.
A few days after his family announced the death, Scottish authorities confirmed that they were investigating the cause. A spokesman for the Crown Office & Procurator Fiscal Service in Scotland said the investigation was being conducted by the country’s Fatality Investigation Unit.
“The investigation is ongoing and the family will continue to be kept up to date on any significant developments,” the service said in a statement last week.