True Crime With Caledonian Kitty

(Paula Yates. Picture credit: mirror.co.uk)

Continued from part two... 

Paula really struggled with her grief over Michael's death, she never recovered from it. She spent her days drinking, taking drugs and would have shady characters at her home. She would often be seen out at a local cafe with a well known heroin dealer.

She said in an interview ''when Michael died I was tipped over the edge, I was beyond grief''

Paula Yates was always known for her glamourous outifits and confident, often forward manner, it was so tragic to see how she had become a shadow of her former self. 

Sometimes she would be spotted walking to the local shop barefoot to buy 6 minature bottles of vodka. She would do this a few times a day.

On the morning of 17th of September 2000, someone called Paula's home and Tiger answered and told them that she couldn't wake her mother up. The friend rushed over to the house where she found Paula's body and called an ambulance, she was pronounced dead. She was 41 years old. 

She was found to have died from an accidental heroin overdose.

Paula's funeral took place on the 23rd of September 2000 and Bob sorted out all of the funeral arrangements. The cover of ''These Boots Were Made For Walking'' sung by Paula was played at the service. 

Bob got custody of Tiger and brought her up alongside her sisters. There was some difficulties with Michael's family over custody of Tiger, Michael's sister tried to apply for custody but failed. Tiger remained with Bob and her name was changed to Heavenly Hiraani Tiger Lily Hutchence Geldof. 

More sadness was to occur when Paula's daughter Peaches (who was the spitting image of Paula) died of a heroin overdose at the age of 25. The day before she died she uploaded a picture of herself and Paula.

This whole story was a sad and tragic tale. It's hard to know how to describe it, I do believe there was a lot of love between Paula and Michael but there was also a self distruct button that they both shared. Some people wonder why Michael left Helena Christensen for Paula, what some people don't realise about Paula was her confidence, her flirty behaviour. There were times when Paula could be really sexy and glamorous and did have that ''naughty girl'' persona about her which I imagine attracted Michael to her. There was also the fact that she was determined to seduce Michael and that may have turned him on, they seemed to have the same kind of sexual tastes but I didn't want to get into all of that in these posts, obviously there is so much to this story but I tried to keep it as brief as possible. 

I don't blame Paula for Michael's death, I think the two of them just got into such a mess and Paula did play games but I'm sure she had no idea things would turn out like they had. I also wonder, as well as everything else with the grief etc, if Paula had a hard time getting older, she was in her 40s and couldn't play the flirtatious girl anymore, maybe she struggled trying to find out who she was. I feel sorry for what happened to her and Michael, both were struggling and they met at the wrong time. 

Michael is a legend and always will be and continues to influence up and coming artists and bands. I love listening to INXS music and I also like watching some of Paula's interviews on The Tube from the 1980s. Both were such bright personalities, it should have worked between them but sadly things didn't go that way.

(Michael & Paula. Picture credit: chinchillanews.com)

RIP Michael, Paula & Peaches x

Thank you for taking the time to read my posts, see you in the next one x

Further reading & sources:

- Paula Yates Autobiography
- Paula's Former Assistant's Book
- Michael's Brother's Book
- Michael Hutchence - Mystify
- Michael Hutchence - Wikipedia
- Paula Yates - Wikipedia
- Bob Geldof - Wikipedia
- Bob Geldof Interview
- Paula Yates - Find A Death.Com
- Paula Yates - Find A Grave.Com
- Michael Hutchence - Find A Grave.Com
- Kelland Hutchence - Find A Grave.Com
- Paula Yates - Docu
- Paula Yates & Michael Hutchence - Interview
- Paula Yates & INXS - The Tube