Alexander McQueen did commit suicide, as reported at the time of his death.
The death was confirmed when his body was found, and now the cause of death has been confirmed too. A British medical examiner today confirmed to Westminster Coroner Court that McQueen died of asphyxiation and hanging. The hearing was five-minutes in length, and the media was present.
McQueen is also said to have left a suicide note nearby, the contents of which have not been released. He was found the day before his mother’s funeral was scheduled to take place, the saddest news of all; as darling as she clearly was to him, he never really got to say goodbye. He had been tweeting about how he was struggling to cope with the loss of his mother, days earlier. The account @McQueenWorld seems to have been deleted, but is still visible in Google cache.
“At about 10:30 a.m. last Thursday…a man was found hanging in his wardrobe at Flat 1, Green Street, London, W1,” the medical examiner’s official Lynda Martindill said in a statement to the court. “On Monday, Feb. 15, he was identified as Lee Alexander McQueen…he was a single man, a fashion designer.” His older sister, Janet McQueen, was called in to identify the body, and officials said they found a suicide note left by the designer nearby, but did not divulge its contents. [E! Online]
Image credit to ANG/Fame Pictures. Story E! Online, NY Daily News.
