The model died in hospital with her family by her side, months after the birth of her daughter, Snow.
Model Sahara Ray, whose father was the Australian surfing great Tony Ray, is dead. She was 34. In a statement to TMZ on Oct. 19, her family said she had died the night before. “She passed away last night surrounded by family at the hospital,” the statement said. “She was so loved.” A cause of death has not been confirmed.
Ray was born in Australia and grew up mainly in Santa Cruz, California. She told GQ in 2015: “Every winter I would spend three months on the north shore of Hawaii with my dad.” Her father was born in Torquay, Victoria, and was world-ranked No. 11 in 1992, according to the Encyclopedia of Surfing.
Ray built a large following on Instagram and became known through modelling. She founded her swimsuit company, Sahara Ray Swim, in 2014.
Her personal life drew headlines too. She was photographed on holiday in Hawaii with Justin Bieber in 2016, and was reportedly linked to Cody Simpson in 2015. E! reports that she never confirmed either relationship. In 2023, tabloid coverage reported she had been photographed sharing a kiss with musician Mod Sun.
In 2024, Ray revealed she had been diagnosed with Guillain-Barré syndrome. The Mayo Clinic describes it as “a condition in which the body’s immune system attacks the nerves”, and says it “can cause weakness, numbness or paralysis.” E! reports the diagnosis came shortly after she was hit by a car. At the time, she said the condition was hurting her mental health, though she was cautiously optimistic about her future.
In a video shared on social media at the time, Ray described how far the illness had taken her:
“So basically, 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 also said she could “barely walk” and was “primarily in a wheelchair and I have a walker.”
Ray announced her pregnancy on Instagram on Aug. 1, 2025, and revealed in August 2025 that she had named her daughter Snow. Snow was born in January 2026. For Mother’s Day in May, Ray wrote on Instagram: “Happy Mother's Day to all my strong beautiful mothers.” She added: “You are the light and love of my life baby Snow. Thank you for existing.”
Sabrina Zada, an influencer who modelled alongside Ray, posted on Instagram on Oct. 19 with photos of the two over the years. “You were bigger than the whole sky,” she wrote. “I’m very confused. I miss you.” Ray’s close friend Becky Hearn shared throwback photographs of the two and remembered her as a kind-hearted person with a beautiful soul.
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