Australian model Sahara Ray, 34, reportedly died after a fentanyl overdose and was on life support for days before her death. She was taken off life support on Sunday, according to a source cited by the Daily Mail.
Reported Overdose and Hospitalisation
Ray is said to have overdosed on the synthetic opioid on Friday and was rushed to a hospital in Los Angeles. The official cause of death has not yet been revealed, and it is not known if the reported overdose was accidental or deliberate.
Ray's mother, Gretchen Bach, told the Mail: “Sahara was an incredibly passionate and kind young woman who loved her family, fashion, her daughter Snow, and surfing.” She added: “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.”
Health Struggles and Family
Ray, the daughter of legendary surfer Tony Ray, gave birth to her daughter, Snow Ray Dow, in January. She introduced the newborn in April with a sweet video, captioning the post, set to Bieber’s 2025 song, Everything Hallelujah: “Baby snow hallelujah.” Her final post in July was a series of photos of her daughter, alongside which she wrote: “My whole heart baby Snow.”
In April 2024, Ray revealed her battle with the autoimmune disease Guillain-Barré syndrome, which left her partially paralyzed and briefly wheelchair-bound, after she was hit by a car. Guillain-Barré syndrome “is a condition in which the body’s immune system attacks the nerves,” with symptoms that “cause weakness, numbness or paralysis”, according to the Mayo Clinic. It can be triggered by acute trauma such as a car crash.
Public Appearances and Relationships
Shortly after the car crash, Ray said in a TikTok video: “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.” She stopped making public appearances after the incident, with her final appearance in the limelight at a fashion show in November 2023 in Los Angeles alongside her then boyfriend Mod Sun.
Ray made headlines due to her short fling with Bieber in 2016, when they sparked romance rumours after being snapped skinny dipping in Hawaii in August of that year. She was previously linked to Australian singer Cody Simpson and spent her childhood travelling between Australia, California and Hawaii.
