Bryan Ferry was left devastated this week following the tragic news of his ex-wife Lucy Birley's sudden death. Lucy was just 58 when she died, and it has now been reported that she took her own life after battling depression for many years. The former model's brother Ed Helmore told Mail Online that Lucy had "fought a long battle with depression, a battle that she lost on Monday." The publication also said that the police are treating her death as a "personal tragedy".
Lucy Birley tragically passed away on Monday following her battle with depression
Lucy was found dead while on holiday in Ireland, and her passing was announced in a statement by her husband Robin Birley the following day. The statement read: "On Monday Lucy Birley (nee Helmore) passed away whilst on holiday in Ireland, surrounded by her beloved dogs, Daisy, Peg and Daphne." It continued: "Her husband Robin, and her sons - Otis, Isaac, Tara and Merlin - are understandably devastated and request that their privacy be respected during this difficult time." Lucy remarried Robin – the son of Annabel's nightclub owner Mark Birley - in 2016.
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The former model mixed in the same fashion circle as Kate Moss
Roxy Music frontman Bryan paid tribute to his former wife on social media after the news broke, where he expressed his shock and sadness. He wrote on Twitter on Tuesday: "I'm much saddened and shocked by this tragic news of Lucy's death. The family request that our privacy be respected during this difficult time." Bryan and Lucy were married between 1982 and 2003, and shared four sons together – Otis, Isaac, Tara and Merlin.
Lucy left behind her four sons and husband Robin Birley
The sad news of Lucy's death follows just over a week after her friend Annabelle Neilson died aged just 49. The pair mixed in the same fashion circles, and were both good friends with the likes of Kate Moss, the late fashion designer Alexander McQueen who died in 2010 and the late magazine editor Isabella Blow, who, like Alexander, took her own life in 2008.
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Stars gone too soon