Caresse Henry, Former Madonna Manager, Dead At Age 44

Caresse Henry, a well-known artist manager who handled Madonna’s career during the creative burst that spanned Ray Of Light and Music, has died unexpectedly at age 44, according to CNN, MTV and other sources. Authorities in Orange County, Calif., where she lived, contend Henry died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound, CBS is reporting. Details follow.

Henry, a longtime Madonna associate who guided the pop superstar’s career for roughly ten years until 2004, died “suddenly” on Wednesday in Irvine, Calif.m where she lived, according to a statement from Madonna’s longtime publicist, Liz Rosenberg. The statement contended that “despite rumors to the contrary, the cause of death has not been determined and is currently under investigation.” In addition to Madonna, Henry worked with such artists as Ricky Martin, Joss Stone, Jessica Simpson, Paula Abdul and comedian Andrew Dice Clay.

One of Henry’s former clients, Jimmy Demers, a singer who recently collaborated with Paula Abdul, wrote in a post on the Huffington Post that Henry’s death “hit me like a ton of bricks… I’m not sure what details lead her to this dark moment of hopelessness, and I’m not sure there was anything anyone could have done to save her.”

Henry is survived by her two children, Honour Kristen Norman and Ava Caresse Hinojosa, who both live in Los Angeles.