Justin Bieber's ex's family breaks silence with heartbreaking details of her final hours

Justin Bieber's former girlfriend, model Sahara Ray, was surrounded by family before she passed away on Sunday, October 18, aged 34.

The Australian star reportedly died from a fentanyl overdose, per the Daily Mail, which stated that she was rushed to hospital on Friday night and put on life support. Her cause of death has not been officially confirmed. 

Her family made the difficult decision to take her off life support on Sunday, per the outlet, and were by her side as she passed. Sahara's mother, Gretchen Bach, told the Daily Mail that her daughter was "an incredibly passionate and kind young woman who loved her family, fashion, her daughter, Snow, and surfing."

"We're feeling the love that is pouring in from her cherished friends, fans and the many communities that she was part of around the world." Sahara's family confirmed her passing to TMZ on Monday, sharing: "She passed away last night surrounded by family at the hospital. She was so loved."

Sahara Ray's friend pays tribute

Her friend, Sabrina Zada, shared a moving tribute to the late star, who was romantically linked to Justin Bieber in 2016. "You were bigger than the whole sky @sahara_ray," Sabrina wrote in the caption. 

"Still will always be. I don't know what to do anymore. None of this makes sense without you. Selfishly, I just assumed you'd be here because why wouldn't somebody as beautiful, kind, funny, and interesting as you be here anymore. I'm very confused. I miss you. Please text me back and say it's a moment and nothing more."

The blonde beauty, who created her own swimwear line, Sahara Ray Swim, welcomed her first child, Snow, in January, and shared insight into her life as a new mom in her final social media post in July. "My whole heart baby Snow," she wrote.

Sahara Ray's health struggles revealed

Sahara has been open about her health struggles in the past, including the addiction issues that led to her checking into a treatment center in Malibu in 2021.

"Hey, guys, I just wanted to update you on the journey that I'm on right now," she told her fans in a social media video. "I just checked into a mental health, wellness, drug and alcohol addiction treatment center retreat. It's really beautiful. It's in Malibu."

"I'm really excited to share my story with you guys. I'll be here for 30 days. This is day one," she continued. "I'm also documenting everything, and I'll be doing a YouTube video, so you guys can see the really vulnerable side. I'm going to keep it light on Instagram."

In 2024, Sahara got candid about being diagnosed with Guillain-Barré syndrome, a rare autoimmune disorder that leads to muscle weakness, difficulty walking, breathing difficulties and numbness.

She shared with her followers that the disorder had manifested after she was involved in a car accident.

"Right now I'm paralysed from the tops of my upper thighs all the way down to my feet. I can't walk at all," she explained. "I am primarily in a wheelchair, and I have a walker. So I haven't been on Instagram, and I haven't been on TikTok because I’ve been pretty depressed, obviously."

"This is really hard to deal with. I've been trying to keep a good attitude and be hopeful that my feeling comes back, but there's always a chance it just stays like this," Sahara admitted. "I'm really hoping and praying that I get to walk again someday."