Sahara Ray, an Australian model and fashion designer who was once romantically linked to pop star Justin Bieber, has died at 34 — just nine months after giving birth to her daughter.
According to US entertainment outlets TMZ and Page Six, Ray died Sunday at a hospital with her family by her side.
The exact cause of her death has not been disclosed.
Ray had been diagnosed with Guillain-Barré syndrome after a car accident in April 2024. The rare acute autoimmune disorder occurs when the body's immune system mistakenly attacks the peripheral nervous system. Ray had previously said she was left paralyzed from the upper thighs down and confined to a wheelchair, writing that she was "completely unable to walk."
Her death has drawn particular sorrow given how recently she had become a mother. She gave birth to a daughter in January and shared a video of the baby set to a Justin Bieber song, captioning it "baby Snow, my everything." Her final social media post, uploaded in July, was a collection of photos of her daughter.
Friends and fans have poured out tributes since news of her death broke. Close friend and fellow model Becky Hearn wrote on social media: "A pure soul with the biggest heart. My heart is shattered thinking of you and your family. Please rest easy."
Ray was the daughter of Tony Ray, a well-known professional surfer from Australia. She worked as a model, swimwear designer and influencer. She first drew widespread attention in 2016 when she and Bieber were photographed swimming nude together during a vacation in Hawaii, and she made headlines again in 2023 amid reports of a romance with singer Mod Sun.
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