Australian model and swimwear brand founder Sahara Ray has died at the age of 34.
Ray’s family, including her father, surfer Tony Ray, confirmed her death to TMZ on Monday (Oct. 19). They told the outlet that she “passed away last night surrounded by family at the hospital. She was so loved.” Her cause of death has not been disclosed, although she developed the rare neurological condition Guillain-Barré syndrome following a car accident in 2024.
Ray spent much of her childhood between California, Australia, and Hawaii before studying at the Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising in Los Angeles. In 2014, she founded Sahara Ray Swim and was later romantically linked to singers Justin Bieber, Cody Simpson, and Mod Sun.
On April 8, 2024, just days before her 31st birthday, Ray was involved in a serious crash after a drunk driver traveling at approximately 80 miles per hour struck her vehicle. The accident left her paralyzed from the thighs down, and she was subsequently diagnosed with Guillain-Barré syndrome, a condition that can cause muscle weakness.
“It basically sent my body into shock, which sent my body into this crazy sickness,” she explained in a video following the accident.
“I’m really hoping and praying that I’ll be able to walk again someday,” Ray said in another statement.
She leaves behind her first child, a baby girl named Snow.
