Dermatologist Fredric Brandt was found dead in his Miami home on Sunday. The 65-year-old had many celebrity patients including Madonna and Stephanie Seymour.
Brandt’s publicist Jacquie Trachtenberg told the New York Post, “He passed away this morning. He was suffering from an illness. Everyone who knows him is devastated.”
“I worked with him for over 20 years and he was an amazing man, not only was he a brilliant doctor, but he was the kindest human being,” said Trachtenberg.
Miami Herald journalist Lesley Abravanel reported Brandt was “devastated” by comparisons to the Martin Short character on Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, Tina Fey’s new Netflix series. “The show definitely deeply hurt him, he was being made fun of because of the way he looks,” Trachtenberg confirmed to the NY Post.
“It is mean, and it was bullying. But the show was not the reason for his depression, and it was not the reason he would take his own life,” said Trachtenberg, adding that his death was “sudden” but not going into detail on the circumstances.
Sources: Dr Fredric Brandt was “devastated” over comparisons to the protagonist on Tina Fey’s new Netflix show, “Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt”
— Lesley Abravanel (@lesleyabravanel) April 5, 2015
Dr. Brandt’s publicist says he was suffering from an “illness”. Sources close say that illness was depression.
— Lesley Abravanel (@lesleyabravanel) April 5, 2015
THR reached out to Brandt’s rep for comment.