Jonathan Andic, son of Mango founder Isak Andic, announced he is temporarily stepping down as vice-chair of the fashion brand Tuesday after being named a suspect in his father’s death.
Isak died in December 2024 after falling more than 328 feet from a cliff while hiking with his son outside Barcelona. A judge alleged in a writ that there was sufficient evidence to indicate Isak’s death may not have been accidental Jonathan “played an active and premeditated role,” according to CBC News. The fashion heir was arrested May 19. He posted an approximately $1.16 million bail and did not face formal charges, Forbes reported.
Andric issued an open letter disputing the allegations, according to CBC News. “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,” Jonathan wrote.
“I know that dismantling it will require time, effort and intense dedication.”
PARIS, FRANCE – MAY 17: Isak Andic attends the Mango new collection launch at Centre Pompidou on May 17, 2011 in Paris, France. (Photo by Julien M. Hekimian/Getty Images)
The judge alleged that the father and son’s relationship became strained when Jonathan became focused on money, and claimed WhatsApp messages showed he had “feelings of hatred, resentment and thoughts of death, and blaming his father for his situation.”
Defending his relationship with his late father, Jonathan wrote, “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,” according to CBC.
BARCELONA, SPAIN – MAY 30: (L-R) Isak Andic and Kate Moss present a special Mango award to Carolina Herrera at the 4th Mango Fashion Awards 2012 Gala held at the Museu Nacional d’Art de Catalunya on May 30, 2012 in Barcelona, Spain. (Photo by Robert Marquardt/Getty Images)
Members of Mango’s board issued a statement Tuesday, and stood firmly behind Jonathan. They expressed their “full confidence that the legal proceedings will be resolved favorably and trust that this will happen as swiftly as possible,” CBC reported.
In January 2025, Jonathan became executive vice-president of Mango’s holding company approximately six weeks after his father’s death. Isak’s estimated net worth was last placed at $4 billion, according to Forbes. Jonathan and both his sisters have joint ownnership of 95% of Mango, CBC reported. Toni Ruiz became CEO in 2020 and holds 5%. (RELATED: REPORT: Matthew Perry’s Ex-Assistant Allegedly Attempted To Conceal Ketamine Trail After Star’s Death)
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)
Isak was 71 years old at the time of his death. He arrived in Catalonia in Spain’s northeast in the 1960s and established Mango in 1984. His fashion brand is said to be the rival to Zara, and boasts over 2,900 retail store locations globally.