Gabrielle Giffords defied the odds and watched her husband blast off in the shuttle early this morning -- in person!

The day before the launch at Kennedy Space Center in Florida, U.S. Rep. Giffords and her astronaut husband Mark Kelly spent some time together alone at an exclusive beach house on the property where the crew stays.

PHOTOS: Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords With Her Family

Bachelorette contestant Julien Hug took his own life with a “self inflicted gunshot” wound according to the Riverside County Sheriff’s department, as RadarOnline.com was the first to report.

EXCLUSIVE PHOTOS: Julien & Jennifer Together

The 35-year-old former reality-TV star was found dead in a remote area near Palm Springs. His body was retrieved by the Sheriff’s department helicopter on Thursday and the autopsy results delivered Friday. 

Julien’s father Bertrand Hug delivered the sad news that his son had left a note for friends and family before he committed suicide.