Model Sahara Ray has died at the age of 34, just months after welcoming a baby daughter.
Ray’s death was confirmed by her family, who said in a statement to TMZ on Monday (19 October) night: "She passed away last night surrounded by family at the hospital. She was so loved.”
In a separate statement issued to the Daily Mail, Ray’s mother Gretchen Bach said: “Sahara was an incredibly passionate and kind young woman who loved her family, fashion, her daughter Snow, and surfing.
“We're feeling the love that is pouring in from her cherished friends, fans and the many communities that she was part of around the world.”
Ray’s sister Ruby labelled her “the most vivacious, intelligent, hilarious, kind, empathetic and breathtakingly beautiful soul” in an emotional tribute on social media.
“A force of nature. A light so bright that this world feels impossibly dimmer without her in it,” she wrote.
“Sahara has moved from this life into another, and I am left trying to comprehend how someone so full of life can no longer be here to live it.”
Ray is reported to have died in a Los Angeles hospital. A cause of death has not been confirmed.
Born in Australia, Sahara was the daughter of surfer Tony Ray and spent much of her life in her home country, Hawaii and California.
She found fame thanks to her modelling career and built a significant social media presence over the years, with more than 900,000 followers on Instagram. She also founded a swimwear brand, Sahara Ray Swim.
Ray welcomed her daughter, Snow, in January. She shared what would become her final Instagram post in July, posting three pictures of baby Snow alongside the caption: “My whole heart”.
Ray announced her daughter’s arrival earlier this year, sharing a picture of her newborn baby with the caption: "Snow Ray 1/27/2026. I can’t believe I made this little miracle with my body. I’m so proud and so in love."
In 2016, Ray hit headlines when she romantically linked to Justin Bieber after the pair were pictured together in Hawaii. She was also previously linked to Australian star Cody Simpson.
In 2024, she revealed she had been diagnosed with an autoimmune disease, Guillain-Barré syndrome, after a car crash.
In a since-deleted Instagram post, she said: “I’m so overwhelmed with what’s going on with me.
“So basically, right now I’m paralyzed from the tops of my upper thighs all the way down to my feet. I can’t walk at all… I am primarily in a wheelchair and I have a walker.”
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