Katy French

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Katy French

Date of birth October 31, 1983(1983-10-31)
Place of birth Flag of Switzerland Basel, Switzerland
Date of death 6 December 2007 (aged 24)
Flag of Ireland Navan, County Meath

Katy Ellen French (31 October 1983 – 6 December 2007) was an Irish socialite and model. Born in Basel, Switzerland, French's family moved to Ireland and lived in the Sandyford area briefly when she was two years old but eventually settled in Enniskerry, Co. Wicklow. According to the BBC, "in the space of less than two years, she had become one of Ireland's best-known models and socialites."[1] She collapsed at a friend's house on 2 December 2007 and died on 6 December.[2] A post mortem examination determined that she had suffered brain damage. Traces of cocaine were found in her body.[3] A police investigation into her death is ongoing.[2] Four people were detained for questioning by police on 20 and 21 February 2008.[4]

Contents

[edit] Career

French attended Alexandra College in Milltown, Dublin from the age of seven. She studied psychology before working for the Assets Modelling Agency.[5] She represented Sony Ericsson and Suzuki, coming to greater acclaim in 2007 as a result of her fiancé, restaurateur Marcus Sweeney, ending their relationship in a very public fashion after French was photographed for a lingerie shoot for the Sunday Independent in his restaurant in January of that year.[6] As a result of this publicity, her image appeared more regularly in daily Irish tabloid newspapers and she made numerous television appearances on shows such as RTÉ's The Podge and Rodge Show in April 2007 and Tubridy Tonight a week before her death.[7] French was known for deliberately courting controversy to promote her career. She claimed that when going to appear on Celebrities Go Wild for the People in Need Telethon that she would bring her vibrator with her.[citation needed] On Tubridy Tonight she spoke of her appearance on Celebrities Go Wild as well as her relationship break up with Sweeney. Mention was also made of her birthday party which she was to celebrate the following week, having missed her birthday due to Celebrities Go Wild. Host Ryan Tubridy was invited to the event. Footage too was shown of the charity single "Down in the Bog" which was to be released as a Christmas single.[5] She once worked for the Irish charity GOAL in Calcutta, India.[8] She wrote a column for Social & Personal magazine.[9]

In an interview with Hot Press's Jason O'Toole,[10] she revealed that she would consider having an abortion if she became pregnant during the peak of her career, a controversial claim in Ireland where abortion is effectively illegal, and that she loved fur despite being a "massive animal lover". She also aired her religious beliefs (she was a member of the Church of Ireland but also practised Catholicism) and spoke highly of Islam and her Muslim friends saying, "When you read the Koran, you realise that Islam is a beautiful religion".[11] In the same interview she was asked if she had ever used cocaine and denied ever having done so. Yet in November 2007, French told an Irish tabloid that she had used cocaine in the past,[12] but had since stopped using it.[13] The week before she died, she celebrated her 24th birthday with celebrity and media friends.[2]

[edit] Death

Katy French died on the evening of 6 December 2007 in Our Lady's Hospital, Navan in Co. Meath,[14][15] having collapsed at a friend's house in Kilmessan, County Meath in the early hours of Sunday 2 December. Her death is recognised to be brought on from illegal drugs, and it was well known that Katie had used cocaine, although she claimed she hadn't used it in a few years. She was buried in her hometown of Enniskerry, County Wicklow on 10 December. The Taoiseach's aide de camp Captain Michael Tracey attended her funeral.[2] His attendance was criticized because the government was not represented at the funerals of two young men who had died in apparently similar circumstances the week before French's death. In addition, with the circumstances of her death being a cocaine overdose, many thought it inappropriate for any government minister to attend.[9]

The post mortem revealed that she had suffered brain damage.[16] Traces of cocaine were found in her body.[3] An Garda Síochána have launched an inquiry into her death.[17] Four people were detained for questioning by police in connection with the investigation on 20 and 21 February 2008.[3]

[edit] References

  1. ^ Post-mortem is due on Irish model - BBC News. 7 December 2007
  2. ^ a b c d Logue, Patrick (2008-02-20). Three arrested in Katy French investigation. Irish Independent. Retrieved on 2008-02-20.
  3. ^ a b c Three arrests in French investigation. RTÉ (2008-02-20). Retrieved on 2008-02-20.
  4. ^ Two released in Katy French inquiry. RTÉ (2008-02-21). Retrieved on 2008-02-21.
  5. ^ a b Model Katy French dies 5 days after collapsing at party. Belfast Telegraph (2007-12-06). Retrieved on 2007-12-06.
  6. ^ What Marcus Sweeney and Katy French did next .... Sunday Independent (2007-02-25).
  7. ^ I was with Katy in the house and I tried to help her. Irish Independent (2007-12-06). Retrieved on 2007-12-06.
  8. ^ Tributes paid to Katy French - RTÉ News - December 07, 2007
  9. ^ a b Mambuck, Maeva (2007-12-21). Model Katy French Remains Controversial After Death. ABC News. Retrieved on 2008-02-20.
  10. ^ This year's model. Hot Press (2007-10-26).
  11. ^ "Blessing of troubled teenage years" - Irish Independent WEEKEND REVIEW - Sat. 8 Dec 2007, p.5
  12. ^ Andrea fills in the gaps over Katy's final hours. Irish Independent (2007-12-10). Retrieved on 2007-12-11.
  13. ^ Brady, Tom (2008-02-11). Three face arrest in tragic Katy death probe. Irish Independent. Retrieved on 2008-02-20.
  14. ^ Model Katy French dies in hospital. RTÉ (2007-12-06). Retrieved on 2007-12-06.
  15. ^ Top Irish model dies in hospital. BBC (2007-12-06). Retrieved on 2007-12-06.
  16. ^ Post mortem says French suffered brain damage. RTÉ (2007-12-07). Retrieved on 2007-12-07.
  17. ^ Irish Model Dies in Arms of Her Sister, Police Launch Investigation. Fox News (2007-12-06). Retrieved on 2007-12-06.

[edit] External links

Languages