Dame Vivienne Westwood contacted Julian Assange in jail simply weeks earlier than her loss of life on Thursday to inform him she was significantly unwell, The Mail on Sunday can reveal.
The pair had been shut pals for greater than a decade and final noticed each other when the style designer visited the WikiLeaks founder in Belmarsh jail in 2019.
Final evening his spouse Stella advised The Mail on Sunday: ‘She had reached out to inform Julian and me she was very poorly so her loss of life was not sudden.
‘It was a few month in the past. It was very onerous on him as he had not seen her since that jail go to in 2019.’
Stella Assange wore a costume designed by Dame Vivienne when she married the 51-year-old on the jail in a small ceremony in March. The style designer wrote a message on the within of the marriage costume that learn: ‘To me, Vivienne, Julian is a pure soul and a freedom fighter. All my like to the household, Julian, Stella, Max and Grabriel. Could the holy life power bless your marriage.’
WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange gestures from the window of a jail van as he’s pushed into Southwark Crown Court docket in London on Could 1, 2019
Mr Assange will request depart from jail to attend the funeral of Dame Vivienne, who died aged 81 surrounded by her household in south London.
‘Julian dearly needs to have the ability to go to her funeral and has already had a dialog together with his lawyer about placing in a request,’ Mrs Assange mentioned.
‘It issues to him so he’s being proactive within the hope he might be allowed to attend.’
Dame Vivienne had been a vocal supporter of Mr Assange throughout his time within the Ecuadorian embassy and whereas he fights extradition to the US.
After first assembly at Mr Assange’s fortieth celebration, the pair stayed in contact and Dame Vivian would commonly cycle to go to him on the Ecuadorian embassy, the place he was given asylum between 2012 and 2019.
The designer dressed as a canary and suspended herself inside a large birdcage exterior the Outdated Bailey in July 2020 to protest towards his extradition.
The designer dressed as a canary and suspended herself inside a large birdcage exterior the Outdated Bailey in July 2020 to protest towards his extradition
Famed dressmaker Dame Vivienne Westwood (pictured left and proper) died peacefully surrounded by household at her dwelling in Clapham
Mrs Assange mentioned: ‘What she and Julian shared had been uncompromising beliefs. Julian cherished her firm, she was lots of enjoyable and an actual free thinker.
‘She could be out and in the embassy as much as twice a month and her son Ben would come as soon as every week with a field of selfmade sushi for Julian too.’
Mrs Assange wore a costume designed by Dame Vivienne when she married the 51-year-old on the jail in a small ceremony in March.
The style designer wrote a message on the within of the marriage costume that learn: ‘To me, Vivienne, Julian is a pure soul and a freedom fighter. All my like to the household, Julian, Stella, Max and Grabriel. Could the holy life power bless your marriage.’
The designer’s loss of life prompted the WikiLeaks founder to subject his first public assertion since being imprisoned in 2019.
In a remark launched by Mrs Assange, he mentioned: ‘Vivienne was a Dame and a pillar of the anti-establishment. Daring, artistic, considerate and good friend. The perfect of Britain. She might be missed terribly by me and lots of others.’
Vivienne Westwood holds a placard as she demonstrates exterior the Outdated Bailey in assist of Julian Assange
Dame Vivienne, who was born in Cheshire in 1941, is well known for bringing punk and new wave vogue into the mainstream along with her imaginative creations.
The US needs to extradite Mr Assange to face allegations of conspiracy to acquire and disclose American defence info following WikiLeaks’ publication of lots of of 1000’s of leaked paperwork regarding the Afghanistan and Iraq wars.
He was dragged out of his embassy exile in 2019, arrested, and locked up in Belmarsh the place his psychological and bodily well being is thought to have deteriorated. He had a mini-stroke in 2021.
A delegation from Wikileaks lately obtained the assist of leaders throughout Latin America in requires his launch.
