Pioneering dermatologist Dr Fredric Brandt, an early proponent of Botox died in his Miami home. He was also an author, radio host and frequent television talk show guest. He was 65.
Miami police spokeswoman Frederica Burden said that Monday officers found Brandt’s body at his home in the Coconut Grove section of Miami on Sunday after a friend contacted them. Burden said Brandt apparently hanged himself and that foul play is not suspected. An autopsy is however planned.
Who Was Dr Brandt?
- Fredric Brandt was born in 1949 in Newark, New Jersey.
- He graduated from Rutgers University and earned his medical degree from Drexel University Medical School.
- He opened his Miami dermatology practice in 1982 and developed an expertise in injectable substances, including Botox.
- Brandt dealt with famous celebrities including singer Madonna.
- He also ran clinical trials for many other dermatology treatments.
- Brandt launched his Dr Brandt Skin Care line in 2001 and wrote two successful skin care books.
- He hosted the Ask Dr Brandt show on SiriusXM radio for four years. His guests included celebrities such as Gwyneth Paltrow and Kelly Ripa.
Fighting Depression
Brandt’s longtime publicist, Jacquie Tractenberg, said he had been suffering from depression. Recently, she said, he had been upset by a thinly veiled portrayal of him by actor Martin Short on the Netflix show, “Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt.”
“It definitely bothered him. It was a very mean portrayal,” she said, but she added: “He didn’t kill himself because of that one particular show.”
Sarah Brown, beauty director at Vogue magazine, said in the official biography that Brandt was one of the nation’s leading cosmetic dermatologists who enjoyed transforming the way people looked and felt about themselves.
He understood the powerful role his work could play in enhancing a person’s self-confidence, and I think he took great pleasure in that gift.
- Sarah Brown, Beauty Director at Vogue