Sahara Ray, the Australian model and daughter of surf legend Tony Ray, died at thirty-four, her family confirmed. A report from the Daily Mail, cited by the New York Post, claims the model overdosed on a synthetic opioid on Friday and was rushed to a Los Angeles hospital where she was placed on life support, before her family made the decision to remove her from it on Sunday.
The New York Post, which has 4.2 million followers, reported the claim in a post that read: "Model Sahara Ray's cause of death revealed: report." The Post's report, citing the Daily Mail, stated that an official cause of death had not been released and that it was unknown whether the reported overdose was accidental or deliberate. The report also noted that Ray's death came just months after she gave birth to her daughter, Snow Ray Dow, in January.
The modeling world and Ray's family are now reacting to the loss. Ray's family told TMZ, which first reported the news on Monday, October 19: "She passed away last night surrounded by family at the hospital. She was so loved." The family's statement did not address the cause of death.
Ray's mother remembered her daughter, according to The Economic Times, which reported that Ray "struggled with addiction in recent years" and faced serious health issues. The Economic Times reported that Ray was rushed to a hospital but her family decided to remove her from life support days later.
Ray was a swimwear designer who once made headlines for her rumored relationship with Justin Bieber, according to TMZ. She had also previously been linked to Cody Simpson, according to People magazine, which reported her death at thirty-four less than a year after welcoming her baby girl. The New York Post reported that Ray's last public appearance was at the Ashton Michael RTW + 10-Year Anniversary Show: "Punk Tsugi" in Los Angeles in November 2023, where photos showed her seated between then-boyfriend Mod Sun and SIIICKBRAIN at the fashion show.
Just months later, in April 2024, Ray revealed her battle with the autoimmune disease Guillain-Barré syndrome, which left her partially paralyzed and briefly wheelchair-bound after being hit by a car. According to the Mayo Clinic, Guillain-Barré syndrome "is a condition in which the body's immune system attacks the nerves," with symptoms that "cause weakness, numbness or paralysis." It can be activated by acute trauma such as a car crash. "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 video shortly after the car crash, according to 7news.com.
Ray officially introduced her newborn in April alongside a video of them cozied up together, the New York Post reported. Her death comes less than a year after she welcomed her daughter.
TMZ reported that Ray died at thirty-four, and People confirmed she died October 18. Men's Journal reported on what is known about her cause of death, noting the model died at just thirty-four years old. The coverage has spread across outlets including the New York Post, TMZ, People, Men's Journal, The Economic Times, and the Daily Mail, which first reported the overdose claim.
Next News Network could not independently verify the claim that Ray overdosed on a synthetic opioid or that her family removed her from life support.
Our Take
The death of Sahara Ray at thirty-four is a tragedy by any measure, and the reported circumstances make it more painful still. A young mother, gone less than a year after giving birth, after a car crash and a debilitating autoimmune diagnosis that left her paralyzed. The family's statement that she was "so loved" is the only thing here that needs no verification.
But the coverage of her cause of death is already running ahead of the facts. The Daily Mail's report, amplified by the New York Post, asserts an overdose on a synthetic opioid and a family decision to remove life support, while simultaneously acknowledging that no official cause of death has been released and that it is unknown whether the reported overdose was accidental or deliberate. That is a claim dressed up as a finding. Outlets across the spectrum are now repeating it as though it were settled.
The opioid crisis is real and devastating, and if the report proves accurate it will be another entry in a long and grim ledger. But accuracy matters most when the story is most sensitive. A family is grieving, a child will grow up without her mother, and the public record should reflect what is known, not what is alleged. We will continue to follow this story and report the official findings when they are released.
