TRIGGER WARNING: This post contains information about suicide, which may be triggering to some.
It’s been more than a year since the world was introduced to Allan Kassenoff and his wife, Catherine Kassenoff, and got a bird's eye view into their seemingly volatile relationship. Catherine Kassenoff reportedly took her own life in May 2023 after allegedly enduring years of abuse at the hands of her husband, a successful attorney in New York City.
After many months of silence, Allan Kassenoff is finally speaking out and claims his wife’s portrayal of him isn’t accurate.
TikTok creator Robbie Harvey, who goes by @therobbieharvey on the platform, played an integral role in telling the story of the Kassenoffs and perpetuating the narrative that Allan was to blame and that Catherine was a victim. In the fall of 2023, Allan Kassenoff sued Harvey in a $150,000,000 defamation claim. Harvey recently posted that he would be taking down all his TikTok videos regarding the case and apologized to Allan Kassenoffs. It now appears the story Harvey helped to tell wasn’t the whole story at all.
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Allan and Catherine had a rocky relationship.
Before Catherine Kassenoff’s death by assisted suicide in 2023, she uploaded multiple videos to her Facebook account and legal documentation from her divorce proceedings with her husband. At one time, the couple were both practicing attorneys in New York City, but Catherine Kassenoff paused her career to care for their three daughters. She also was allegedly had cancer at the time of her death.
She announced her suicide plan on May 27, 2023, with a post that read in part, “It is with a profound heartbreak … that I am writing my last Post ever. Today, I will be ending my own life … In the last four years of my life I have woken up every day to a nightmare like no other.”
Allan Kassenoff told the New York Post his ex-wife chose suicide to punish him and their three daughters.
“In my eyes, Catherine went through with her suicide in order to destroy me and the children,” he said.
Catherine Kassenoff allegedly didn’t tell the whole truth.
According to Allan Kassenoff, his wife made false claims about him and used her knowledge of the legal system to manipulate others. He told the Free Press his wife contacted the police often, but there were never charges filed.
“She used to call the police on a weekly basis. Each time it was more nonsensical than the time before. But she was trying to build a case. Do you see what I mean? She’s a lawyer. She’s very conniving and scheming,” he said.
Allan Kassenoff told the Post his former wife also lied about her terminal cancer. “I called her oncologist,” he said. “He said she last came in for a checkup and had a clear bill of health.”
Allan Kassenoff claims Catherine Kassenoff was an abuser herself.
Per the Post, during their divorce proceedings, Allan Kassenoff reportedly submitted recordings to the court of his wife berating one of the couple’s daughter and calling her names. She reportedly told the child she was a “complete idiot” and said she’d go to jail for her behavior.
Kim Hull, a former nanny for the family, reportedly told the Free Press that Catherine Kassenoff told her not to let their baby sleep and told her to drip water on the infant’s face to keep her awake. Hill claimed she never turned the mother into the police because she feared her.
Catherine Kassenoff used social media to air the couple’s dirty laundry.
By posting her suicide note on Facebook and uploading legal documentation and videos, Catherine Kassenoff showed an ugly side of her marriage to the world. Harvey, in turn, posted the videos and made the Kassenoffs a viral sensation, painting Allan Kassenoff as an evil man and his wife as a victim.
Harvey helped perpetuate those images but has since retracted his statements. In an apology video, he said he would remove videos of the couple after talking with the father of three.
“In my videos, I made some mistakes in the reporting of the story, which was a result of not having all the information available to me because Catherine did not provide a complete record of what was happening,” he said. Harvey has since turned off commenting on his apology video.
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Allan Kassenoff says his wife's goal was to hurt him.
According to him, Catherine Kassenoff died by suicide to ruin his life and the lives of their three daughters. Allan Kassenoff was forced to resign from his position as a patent attorney at Greenberg Traurig amid the backlash from his viral fame.
It appears Harvey now believes the father was misrepresented. “I apologize to Allan. I apologize to the Kassenoff children for any harm I have caused,” he said in the video.
Allan Kassenoff and his daughters are living together happily and trying to recover from their family's tragedy. It is unclear whether he has dropped the lawsuit against Harvey.
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.
