Photo: Twitter
He was only 40 years old.
By Emily Blackwood — Written on Jan 22, 2019
The founder and former CEO of the cult beauty brand Deciem has died.
A statement about the death of Brandon Truaxe, 40, was posted to the company's Instagram account on Monday. It read: "Brandon, our founder and friend. You touched our hearts, inspired our minds and made us believe that anything is possible."
"Thank you for every laugh, every learning and every moment of your genius. Whilst we can't imagine a world without you, we promise to take care of each other and will work hard to continue your vision. May you finally be at peace."
While the details surrounding his death have not yet been confirmed, some sources claim that Truaxe committed suicide. Radar Online reported that he jumped from his 32nd-floor apartment in Toronto and landed on a sixth-floor terrace in the early morning hours of Jan. 21.
“He was found dead at the scene,” a police spokesperson told Radar. “Someone looked under their balcony window and saw someone lying on the terrace half covered in snow, meaning he had been there for a while.”
The spokesperson said that there was no evidence of foul play.
Sources told The Inquisitr that he had been hospitalized several times for mental illness and that he has a history of drug abuse. Those claims have not been verified and Truaxe had denied being diagnosed with a mental illness.
The day before his death, Truaxe posted some troubling videos on Instagram from inside his penthouse and talked about being intoxicated.
“Because I have indulged in some alcohol this evening, I am enjoying my drunken behavior," he said in the video before he told his followers his home address.
Back in 2018, Truaxe was removed from his role as co-CEO of Deciem after his posts on the company's social media accounts were becoming increasingly erratic. He claimed that the company should be shut down because of "financial crimes" that had been committed.
He was told to step down after Estée Lauder filed a lawsuit.
"Brandon will always be the founder of Deciem," the company posted on Instagram after he was ousted. "We will take the passion and values he has instilled within us as we continue to grow the brands we have created with transparency, integrity, authenticity, function and design."
A report in Canada's National Post also states that he fell from a building, but a Deciem employee who had lived with him and at one time been his boyfriend said he didn't jump.
“I don’t think he jumped. I think he fell," said Riyadh Sweedan.
Emily Blackwood is a writer and editor living in California. She covers all things news, true crime and pop culture.