The husband of adult performer Vicky Vette has been found dead at the home of a friend he was staying with, Vette’s publicist confirmed today.
The cause of death was unclear.
Jason Sechrest, a spokesman for Vette, said her husband who went only by the name Frank, was found dead by an acquaintance he was staying with. Other details were not available.
"All we know is that police ruled it a suicide," Sechrest said, adding that Vette would not comment on the matter.
On Sunday, Vette announced in a news release that she was separating from her husband, who performed with her in videos and Web cam shows from her Web site, vickyathome.com. In the release, Vette cited 18 years of physical and mental abuse as the reason for the separation. She also claimed that she had him arrested on Jan. 3 after three straight days of beatings by him.
Moreover, she claimed she filed a restraining order against him shortly thereafter.
Despite these incidents, Vette said in the release that she could continue her feature dancing tour as scheduled for the spring.
"It’s a difficult time for her, but Vicky says that her friends and fans can send their condolences to her at [email protected]," Sechrest said.
Vette, who had done some nude modeling in her native Atlanta, began her career when her nude photos appeared in Hustler magazine’s "Beaver Hunt" contest as a semi-finalist in 2002. But with her husband’s encouragement, Vette began making hardcore adult films, she says in her Website.
"It really wasn’t a stretch," she says on Website. "We had been swingers for over 15 years. We didn’t have any of the jealousy issues that other couples in the same situation would encounter."
The couple had owned their own home building company before they joined the adult industry.