Los Angeles, California - Australian model Sahara Ray, who became a mother for the first time months ago, has died at the age of 34.
According to the Daily Mail, the young woman may have died from fentanyl use.
The Australian-born star is said to have taken an overdose of the highly dangerous opioid, according to an anonymous source close to Ray.
On Friday night, Ray was taken to a hospital in the Los Angeles area and placed on life support.
On Sunday afternoon, her family made the painful decision to withdraw the life‑sustaining measures. Her loved ones were with her when she passed.
Ray spoke publicly about her addiction issues back in 2021. At that time, she entered a rehab facility in Malibu for 30 days to address her alcohol and drug abuse problems.
In 2024, the model suffered another major setback: After a car accident, Ray said she was diagnosed with Guillain‑Barré syndrome. The rare nervous‑system disorder temporarily limited her mobility so severely that she required a wheelchair and a walking aid.
"She was so loved," Ray's family told TMZ. Her mother, Gretchen Bach, remembered her daughter as a "passionate and kind young woman." She loved her family, fashion, surfing, and especially her little daughter, Snow.
Ray rose to international fame in 2016 when she was photographed on a Hawaii vacation with pop star Justin Bieber. The two never confirmed a relationship, but Ray was widely reported as the singer's alleged vacation fling.
She later established herself as a model and designer, launching her own swimwear brand.