Ex Qatari Princess Dead At 45 Of Suspected Overdose After Losing Custody Of Kids To Emir's Uncle

A former Qatari princess who was locked in a bitter custody battle with her husband after he was accused of sexually abusing his kids was reported dead on Tuesday in Spain after a suspected drug overdose.

Kasia Gallanio, a 45-year-old woman of Polish origin who was born in Los Angeles, was found dead in her home in Marbella, Spain, with authorities releasing a statement saying that they suspect that her death was caused by a drug overdose, according to The Independent.

Gallanio was the third wife of 73-year-old Abdelaziz bin Khalifa Al-Thani, the Prince of Qatar and the uncle of the emir of Qatar. The two of them met in 1992 in Paris after Al-Thani was exiled from his family following an attempt to overthrow the emir, the Daily Beast reported.

She converted to Islam at Al-Thani’s behest, and they had three daughters together. Gallanio also found herself in the newspapers due to her involvement in her husband’s $65-million case after Al-Thani found someone siphoning off funds from his bank account.

The two of them have separated, however, and Gallanio has been locked in a custody battle with Al-Thani after allegations that he molested and sexually assaulted his eldest daughter between the ages of 9 and 15, a charge that he vehemently denies.

Al-Thani has maintained custody of the three daughters, living with them in his home in Paris while Gallanio was forced to stay in another of the couple’s homes in Spain. Her daughters are reportedly not allowed to visit their mother and are forced to sleep in the servants’ quarters every time they ask to fly out to Spain.

Although Gallanio has been reportedly battling drug addiction and depression due to her prolonged custody battle with Al-Thani, her friend Louis Spagnuolo claims that she did not die of a drug overdose due to her stance against drugs.

“I knew her very, very well and am devastated by the news,” he said. “She was a very good person and those who knew her loved her. She loved her daughters beyond belief and would never leave them. She was dead against drugs and was never an alcoholic.”

An autopsy is being done to find the official cause of death.