Australian model and swimwear designer Sahara Ray has died at age 34, her family confirmed Monday.
Ray passed away Sunday night at a hospital surrounded by relatives, her family told TMZ. A cause of death has not been disclosed.
Ray, the daughter of prominent Australian big-wave surfer Tony Ray, built a career in the fashion industry as both an influencer and entrepreneur. She launched her own label, Sahara Ray Swim, after studying at the Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising in Los Angeles.
High-Profile Spotlight and Career
Ray gained widespread international attention in August 2016 when photographs surfaced of her vacationing in Hawaii with pop star Justin Bieber. Images of the two skinny-dipping during the trip sparked heavy media speculation, though neither party ever publicly confirmed a romantic relationship, Radar Online and The Mirror US reported. Over the years, she was also linked to Australian musician Cody Simpson, male model Jordan Barrett and musician Mod Sun, according to news reports.
Born in Torquay, Australia, Ray spent much of her youth between Australia, Hawaii and Southern California. She initially took after her father in competitive surfing before pivoting toward modeling and fashion design during her teenage years.
Through her Instagram account, which accumulated hundreds of thousands of followers, Ray showcased her swimwear collections alongside lifestyle and modeling photography. In late 2021, she publicly shared that she had completed a 30-day substance abuse recovery program at a treatment facility in Miami, the Daily Mail reported.
Health Battles and Motherhood
In the spring of 2024, Ray shared details about an acute health battle following a car accident on April 8. Ray stated on social media that the crash sent her system into shock, leading to a diagnosis of Guillain-Barré syndrome, a rare autoimmune disorder where the immune system attacks the peripheral nerves.
“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,” Ray said in a TikTok update at the time, as reported by Page Six and The Mirror US. She documented her rehabilitation process online, posting videos of physical therapy sessions while using a wheelchair and a walker to aid her recovery.
Earlier this year, Ray celebrated a major personal milestone when she became a mother. She welcomed a daughter, Snow Ray, on Jan. 27, sharing the news with fans on social media. She never publicly revealed the child’s father. Her final public post on Instagram, shared on July 19, featured pictures of the infant with the caption, “My whole heart 🤍 baby Snow.”
Following the news of her passing, friends and followers posted tributes across social media mourning the loss. Memorial plans and funeral arrangements have not been announced.
