International

Mango’s Jonathan Andic steps back after being named suspect in father’s death

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Reuters

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Isak Andic's eldest son, Jonathan Andic arrives at the funeral chapel of the founder of Mango, Isak Andic, at the Tanatori Les Corts, on 16 December, 2024 in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain. The founder of Mango, Isak Andic, died on December 14, at the age of 71 after suffering an accident in the mountain of Montserrat. Andic was returning from a hike with his eldest son, Jonathan, when he slipped and fell down a ravine approximately 150 meters high. (Photo by Lorena Sopena/Anadolu via Getty Images)

MADRID - Jonathan Andic, son of Mango founder Isak Andic, said on Tuesday he was stepping down temporarily as the fashion group‘s vice chair after being named a suspect in a probe into his father’s death, while strongly asserting his innocence.

Isak Andic, the founder of Spanish fashion brand Mango, arrives at the Fall-Winter 2011 Mango's fashion show in Paris Tuesday, May 17, 2011. (AP Photo/Thibault Camus, File) Isak Andic, the founder of Spanish fashion brand Mango, arrives at the Fall-Winter 2011 Mango's fashion show in Paris Tuesday, May 17, 2011. (AP Photo/Thibault Camus, File)

“A public narrative has been constructed that is one-sided, taken out of context and distorted, and which has created a perception of guilt that bears no relation to reality. I know that dismantling it will require time, effort and intense dedication,” Andic said in an open letter.

A Spanish court last week named Andic as a suspect in the death of his father, who died in December 2024 after falling more than 100 metres (330 feet) from a cliff while the two were hiking together in the mountains outside Barcelona.

The judge’s writ said there was sufficient evidence to suggest the death may not have been accidental and that Jonathan Andic “played an active and premeditated role.”

Jonathan Andic was named executive vice president of Mango’s holding company in January 2025, around six weeks after Isak Andic’s death.

Members of Mango’s board issued a statement on Tuesday in support of Jonathan Andic and expressed their “full confidence that the legal proceedings will be resolved favorably and trust that this will happen as swiftly as possible.”

The judge’s writ said the father and son’s relationship had deteriorated due to Jonathan Andic’s obsession with money and that his WhatsApp messages had expressed “feelings of hatred, resentment and thoughts of death, and blaming his father for his situation.”

SPAIN-POLICE-RETAIL-FASHION Catalan regional police officers (Mossos d'Esquadra) escort Jonathan Andic, the son of Isak Andic, founder of Spanish fashion brand Mango, as he arrives at a court in Martorell, near Barcelona, following his arrest on May 19, 2026. Spanish police said today they have arrested the eldest son of Mango clothing empire founder Isak Andic over his father's death during a hiking trip in December 2024. Jonathan Andic, who was alone with his 71-year-old father when the retail magnate plunged to his death in the Montserrat mountains near Barcelona, was taken into custody, Catalan regional police said, confirming a report in the daily La Vanguardia newspaper. (Photo by Lluis GENE / AFP via Getty Images)

In his letter, Jonathan, 45, disputed that portrayal of their relationship.

“We shared many happy, cherished and loving moments together. As is the case in so many families, we have also faced difficult and challenging times, which we have overcome through great effort, generosity and support,” he wrote.

Reporting by Corina Pons. Writing by Emma Pinedo. Editing by Charlie Devereux, Mark Potter and Keith Weir, Reuters