Tragic Celebrity Dermatologist Suicide
Tragic Celebrity Dermatologist Suicide
Prominent celebrity dermatologist Fredric Brandt has just committed suicide by hanging. The skincare aficionado, 65 years old, was discovered dead at his sprawling Coconut Grove, Miami mansion on Sunday, April 5th. His suicide was verified by the City of Miami Police Department the very next day. An autopsy was also set to be performed the next day, according to the Miami-Dade County Medical Examiner Department.
A writer from the Miami Herald by the name of Lesley Abravanel indicated that the cosmetic dermatologist had recently become extremely distressed by talk that he was the inspiration behind Dr. Franff, who is a character on Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, a Netflix program by well-known comedienne Tina Fey. Brandt’s physical appearance was very close to that of the Netflix character. Abravanel discussed this matter on Sunday by posting numerous tweets regarding Brandt. She claimed to have insider knowledge on the situation due to talking with individuals who knew Brandt very well.
Brandt had over the years built a strong reputation as a trusted celebrity dermatologist. He’s worked closely with major Hollywood celebrities such as pop star Madonna, supermodel Stephanie Seymour and television personality Kelly Ripa. He’s also worked with established art collector Jane Holzer. Brandt’s publicist Jacquie Tractenberg stated that his passing was due to him “suffering from an illness.” Tractenberg failed to elaborate on the cause or specific sickness that allegedly claimed Brandt, however.
Many celebrities shared their condolences upon hearing of Brandt’s untimely passing. Kelly Ripa’s husband Mark Consuelos, an actor, shared a retweet on Twitter from Isaac Calpito, a prominent choreographer. The retweet expressed devastation at Brandt’s death. It also referred to Brandt as being one of the planet’s “kindest souls.”
Brandt was the sole resident of his Coconut Grove mansion. His housekeeper discovered his body. She responded to the urgent situation by, at 9:19AM, contacting 911.
Many people in the media had recently discussed Brandt’s uncanny similarities to the aforementioned Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt character. In March, the New York Post penned a piece that went in-depth on the common factors between the fake doctor character and Brandt himself. The character is portrayed by comedian Martin Short and appears in a single episode of the program.
Brandt not only was known for working closely with Hollywood stars’ complexions, but he was also known for being the founder of his very own luxury line of skincare products. The dermatologist also ran two separate medical practices in Miami, Florida.
