In a heart wrenching true story of domestic violence and gruesome custody battles, former Playboy centerfold Stephanie Adams jumped to her death on Friday morning after checking into a New York City hotel suite, ending her life and the life of her 7-year-old son, Vincent.
According to the New York Daily News, at the time of her death, Adams had been locked in a contentious divorce with her estranged husband, Dr. Charles Nicolai.
"Things started to go sour between them about two, three years ago," a friend of Nicolai told the paper. "He was always incredibly proud of his son."
Nicolai’s attorney said the doctor is “devastated” by the death of his child.
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“He's been totally devastated,” William Beslow said.
Between July 2017 and March 2018, the NYPD responded to five calls about domestic disputes between the distant couple and an order of protection was issued in their case, though it’s unclear which party initiated it.
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In Adam’s last tweet, written in March 2018, she spoke in support of victims of domestic violence.
“The only person who should ever be ashamed in a domestic abuse incident is the abuser. Stand tall and stay strong,” she wrote. “Find the right support and always maintain your safety. Get the help you and your child need now to no longer be a victim.”
Adams and her son checked into the hotel on Thursday.
Four days after that tweet, cops responded to a domestic violence call.
The two bodies were first spotted by a guest at the E. 46th St. hotel off Fifth Ave.
"One of the guests of the hotel, they called the lobby," said Ilir Krsniqi, 27, a waiter at Wolfgang's Steakhouse in the hotel.
Other guests reported hearing Adams and her son hit the ground.
"From what [the guests] told me, they heard a light drop and then a heavier drop," said a hotel employee. "I'm still shaken up about it."
According to the Health and Human Services Office of Minority Health, African Americans are 20% more likely to experience serious mental health problems than the general population. Common mental health disorders among African Americans include:
- Major depression
- Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)
- Suicide, among young African American men
- Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), because African Americans are more likely to be victims of violent crime
Multiple studies have found that domestic violence survivors have higher-than-average rates of suicidal thoughts, with as many as 23 percent of survivors having attempted suicide compared to 3 percent among populations with no prior domestic violence exposure.
It’s not just physical violence that’s linked with an increase in suicide. Verbal and emotional abuse are also connected with higher risk, as well as the duration, frequency and severity of abuse, and the presence of other factors such as PTSD, childhood trauma, depression and substance use.
While domestic violence increases the risk of suicide, survivors may face other factors that further increase their risk like low socioeconomic status, lack of education, unemployment, increasing age, among others.
After the suicide, scores of pedestrians gathered near the front of the hotel.
In spite of the horrific scene, Adams’ former lawyer said she loved her son.
"She loved that child," Sanford Rubenstein said. "It's a horrible,...
... horrible tragedy."
"It's horrible. I'm a grandfather myself," said James Davis, 56. "It's mental illness. You kill yourself and you kill a child, it's horrible."
Her official online biography said Adams hoped to "enjoy as much of a private life as she can possibly have with her son."
