Iman on husband David Bowie's death: "We lived a very private life and suddenly it felt like there was a target on mine and my daughter’s head"

David Bowie and Iman — (Image credit: Andrew H. Walker/Getty Images for DKMS)

Iman has opened up about the time period following the death of her husband David Bowie, which led to her and daughter Alexandria Zahra Jones feeling vulnerable to the public.

While in conversation with Vogue (as reported by The Guardian), the supermodel and actress recalls the sudden exposure to individuals seeking her reaction and offering excessive comfort after Bowie's passing on January 10, 2016.

Noting how she felt the public's reaction was "too much", she continues, "We lived a very private life and suddenly it felt like there was a target on mine and my daughter’s head. It got to the point where we had to leave our home because the public were always at the front door – which I admire. I get it, but there was a point where it was like, ‘OK, go home now.’

“You had people who would take your picture, sell it and then come to you and say, ‘I feel your pain,’” Iman said, “and I’m like, ‘No, bitch, you don’t feel my pain. Get away from me.’”

Within the interview, Iman also shares how she never refers to her deceased husband using the word "late".

"He is not my late husband. He is my husband," she says, before going on to explain how she never took issue with being addressed as "David Bowie's wife", rather than by her individual name.

“I always remind people that I existed before I met him, and he was also very particular. He never introduced me by saying, ‘Meet my wife.’ He’d always say, ‘Meet Iman, my wife.’ So we both already had our own identity. We were separate together.”

Iman and Bowie married in 1992 in Switzerland and enjoyed 24 years together as a wedded couple.

Liz manages Louder's social media channels and works on keeping the sites up to date with the latest news from the world of rock and metal. Prior to joining Louder as a full time staff writer, she completed a Diploma with the National Council for the Training of Journalists and received a First Class Honours Degree in Popular Music Journalism. She enjoys writing about anything from neo-glam rock to stoner, doom and progressive metal, and loves celebrating women in music.