By CHRISTINE RENDÓN, US SENIOR REPORTER
Published: | Updated:
Sahara Ray, the Australian-American swimsuit model who is the daughter of big wave surfer Tony Ray, has died at age 34.
'She passed away last night surrounded by family at the hospital. She was so loved,' her family told TMZ.
A cause of death is not yet known.
The heartbreaking death comes less than a year since Ray gave birth to her first child, a daughter named Snow.
Ray first made headlines in 2016 when she was rumoured to have dated Justin Bieber.
They were famously caught by the paparazzi enjoying a skinny dipping session in August, 2016.
Sahara Ray, the Australian-American model and swimwear designer who once dated Justin Bieber, has died at age 34
Ray first made headlines in 2016 when she was rumoured to have dated Justin Bieber
The Daily Mail has contacted representatives for Ray and Bieber for comment.
Like her famous father, she grew up an avid surfer, but gave it up as a teenager to pursue a career in modelling and fashion.
She eventually moved to Los Angeles, where she enrolled in The Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising (FIDM).
Sahara went on to forge a successful career as a model and even launched her own swimwear line, Sahara Ray Swim.
She is also known for her friendship with British model and socialite Lottie Moss.
Ray announced the arrival of her daughter Snow in January along with photos of the bundle of joy.
'Snow Ray 1/27/2026,' she wrote, adding: 'I can’t believe I made this little Maricle with my body. I’m so proud and so in love.'
Sahara also uploaded tearful video to her Stories showing herself cuddling up to little Snow while telling her fans: 'She's so beautiful'.
The heartbreaking death comes less than a year since Ray gave birth to her first child, a daughter named Snow
Sahara has endured a difficult few years, who in May 2024 revealed she had been diagnosed with Guillain-Barré syndrome, a condition that sees the immune system attack the nerves.
At the time, she told her followers that she had paralysed from her upper thighs down to her feet and that she was reliant on a wheelchair and walker to get around.
'My whole life changed in an instant,' Sahara wrote alongside a series of clips of her journey with the disease.
She explained that she was hit by a drunk driver travelling at 80m/h on April 8.
'It basically sent my body into shock which sent my body into this crazy sickness,' she revealed.
Sahara went on to forge a successful career as a model and even launched her own swimwear line, Sahara Ray Swim
'I got really really sick for like a week and a half to two weeks. During that time I barely ate any food because I couldn't keep it down and my body got really weak,' she continued.
Following her sickness she began to feel tingling and numbness in her feet which progressed to her legs.
The model was promptly rushed to the emergency room.
'This has been really hard to deal with and I've been trying keep a good attitude and be hopeful that my feeling comes back,' she told her social media followers.
She appeared to have seen a significant improvement in her health since then.
Sahara also made headlines in December 2021 when she announced she had begun a 30-day treatment program for drug and alcohol abuse at a facility in Miami.