Caroline Flack's boyfriend breaks silence after her tragic death
Caroline Flack, the British TV presenter known for hosting the reality dating show "Love Island," has died at the age of 40.
A lawyer for Flack's family told the British Press Association that she died by suicide. Flack had hosted the reality show from 2015 until this past December, when she stepped down following allegations that she assaulted her boyfriend, tennis star Lewis Burton. In a heartfelt Instagram post, Burton, 27, spoke out for the first time since Flack's death was reported Saturday.
"My heart is broken we had something so special," Burton began his tribute, sharing a romantic photo of himself and Flack in happier times. In the photo, Flack has her arms wrapped around Burton. "I am so lost for words I am in so much pain I miss you so much I know you felt safe with me you always said I don't think about anything else when I'm with you and I was not allowed to be there this time I kept asking and asking," he wrote.
"I will be your voice baby I promise I will ask all the questions you wanted and I will get all the answers nothing will bring you back but I will try make you proud everyday," he continued in what felt like a stream-of-consciousness outpouring of his heart.
"I love you with all my heart," Burton ended his post, signing off with a broken heart emoji.
Flack's family lawyer said the TV star was found in her home in East London and that the family is asking for privacy in their time of grief.
Around Christmastime, Flack posted a message to social media, saying that even though she was advised to stay off it, she wanted to speak out.
"Been advised not to go on social media ... but I wanted to say happy Christmas to everyone who has been so incredibly kind to me this year .... this kind of scrutiny and speculation is a lot to take on for one person to take on their on," she wrote.
"I'm a human being at the end of the day and I'm not going to be silenced when I have a story to tell and a life to keep going with .... I'm taking some time out to get feeling better and learn some lessons from situations I've got myself into to. I have nothing but love to give and best wishes for everyone," she said.
In another post on her social media from the fall, Flack posted about Mental Health Day and her own experience with coping with her "anxiety and pressure of life."
"Some days it’s hard to write your feelings of your not in the right place," she said. "The last few weeks I’ve been in a really weird place... I find it hard to talk about it .. I guess it’s anxiety and pressure of life ... and when I actually reached out to someone they said I was draining."
She added, "I feel like this is why some people keep their emotions to themselves. I certainly hate talking about my feelings. And being a burden is my biggest fear.... I’m lucky to be able to pick myself up when things feel shit. But what happens if someone can’t . Be nice to people. You never know what’s going on . Ever."
If you or someone you know is in crisis, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 800-273-8255, text HOME to 741741 or visit SpeakingOfSuicide.com/resources for additional resources.