By Eden Pontz, Greg Botelho and Todd Leopold (CNN) — L’Wren Scott, a notable fashion designer and longtime girlfriend of Mick Jagger, killed herself by “hanging,” New York City’s chief medical examiner’s office announced Wednesday.
“The manner of death was determined to be suicide,” said Julie Bolcer, a spokeswoman for the office.
Scott’s remains have been claimed, according to Bolcer, though it was not immediately known by whom.
Wednesday’s announcement makes official what was suspected after news came out about the 49-year-old woman’s death.
A law enforcement official familiar with the investigation earlier said Scott’s assistant — after responding to a text to “come by” — found the designer hanging from a door knob with a scarf around her neck on Monday morning.
The lanky former model transitioned to become a stylist and eventually a designer. She designed costumes for films such as the 1996 remake of “Diabolique,” 2000’s “Mercy” and 2007’s “Ocean’s Thirteen.” In addition to her haute couture creations, she designed a collection for Banana Republic that was introduced late last year.
Madonna, Allison Williams and Christina Hendricks were among her celebrity clients.
But she was most closely associated with Jagger, 70 — not just for designing the iconic rocker’s duds for the Rolling Stones’ 50th anniversary tour, which began in 2012, but for being his longtime companion. The couple had been dating since at least 2003.
“I am still struggling to understand how my lover and best friend could end her life in this tragic way,” read a statement on the singer’s website, MickJagger.com. “We spent many wonderful years together and had made a great life for ourselves. She had great presence and her talent was much admired, not least by me.”
CNN’s Shimon Prokupecz and Elizabeth Landers contributed to this report.
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