Famed blogger and author Heather Armstrong has died, according to a statement from her long-time partner Pete Ashdown. Once called "the queen of the mommy bloggers" by New York Times Magazine, Heather's site Dooce used to be required reading for moms online.
TRIGGER WARNING: This post contains information about suicide, which may be triggering to some.
Pete shared the news of her passing with fans.
Heather was found Tuesday night in their Salt Lake City home, according to his statement. Pete says that the blogger had died by suicide but did not release any other details at this time.
The devastating news comes just after Heather hit a major milestone in her sobriety journey.
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Heather struggled with alcohol abuse.
Although there's some confusion surrounding just how long she'd been sober — Pete's statement says 18 months while an April 8 post from Heather says that she'd reached two years — Pete says that she relapsed just before her death.
We can't even begin to imagine the pain that the family is dealing with at this time.
She has two children from a previous marriage.
Heather shared 19-year-old Leta and 13-year-old Marlo with ex-husband Jon Armstrong. The pair called it quits in 2012, and she and Pete began a relationship five years later.
Leta and Marlo are responsible for much of Heather's success, since fans were drawn to the way Heather shared her relatable experiences with everything from pregnancy to parenting on her website.
The blogger had a fall from grace a few years ago.
In 2017, the same time she began dating Pete, who was a former US Senate candidate according to the Buffalo News, Heather's popularity began to wane.
After that, it seems that her depression only got worse, prompting her to sign up for a clinical trial at University of Utah’s Neuropsychiatric Institute.
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We imagine there will be more questions than answers in the coming days.
Heather's family will have a lot to deal with, and hopefully her adoring fans will give them the space to process what happened on their own time and terms. Her loved ones will be in our thoughts. This has to be an impossible time for them all.
Note: If you or any of your loved ones are struggling with suicidal thoughts, you can always reach out to the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline by calling 988. They are available 24/7 by phone or online chat.
