Cindy Ord/Getty ImagesCeleb dermatologist Dr. Fredric Brand did not kill himself because of a Netflix character parody purportedly based on his likeness, according to his rep.
"It definitely bothered him. It was a very mean portrayal," Jacquie Tractenberg said, as reported by ABC News. "He didn't kill himself because of that one particular show," she added.
Dr. Brandt, who over the years had cultivated a significant celebrity following that included Kelly Ripa, Joy Behar and Madonna, was found dead in his home on April 5. The Miami Police department confirmed to E! News yesterday that his passing was an apparent suicide. Brandt was 65.
The dermatologist was reportedly "devastated" by comedian Martin Short's on-screen portrayal of the blond, botox-wielding Dr. Grant (pronounced Franff) on Tina Fey's Netflix series Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, which seemed to bear a likeness to Dr. Brandt.
Allure contributing editor at large Joan Kron confirmed that Dr. Brandt had been "particularly upset" about the Dr. Grant comparisons.
Dr. Brandt's personal friends took to social media on April 6 with touching tributes in his memory: "My heart is breaking for the loss of Dr. Fredric Brandt. My friend. You will be missed forever and in my heart even longer," Ripa wrote on Twitter.
Joy Behar also paid homage via Twitter: "Dr. Brandt was one of the sweetest, nicest, most generous people I have had the good fortune to meet [and] work with. He will be sorely missed," she said.