Model Sahara Ray, Justin Bieber’s ex, dies at 34, months after welcoming daughter

Model Sahara Ray, briefly linked to Justin Bieber, has died aged 34, nine months after welcoming her daughter

Australian model and swimwear designer Sahara Ray has died at the age of 34, months after welcoming her daughter, Snow.

Her family confirmed her death to TMZ, saying she passed away surrounded by relatives at hospital on Sunday, October 18. No official cause of death has been announced.

Ray was briefly romantically linked to singer Justin Bieber in 2016, when the pair appeared in an Instagram video showing them skinny-dipping in Hawaii.

She later developed her modelling career and launched her own swimwear brand, Sahara Ray Swim. She was the daughter of professional big-wave surfer Tony Ray.

Her death comes after years of health challenges. In April 2024, Ray revealed that she had developed Guillain-Barré syndrome following a car accident involving a drunk driver. The neurological disorder left her partially paralysed and unable to walk independently.

“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 said in a social media video at the time.

Ray subsequently documented her efforts to regain mobility, and videos shared in the months before her death showed her walking again. She welcomed Snow in January 2026 and described her daughter as her “whole heart” in a social media post in July.

The Daily Mail reported that Ray had allegedly suffered a fentanyl overdose and was placed on life support after being taken to hospital on Friday. However, these reports have not been confirmed as her official cause of death.

Ray's family described her as “an incredibly passionate and kind young woman who loved her family, fashion, her daughter, Snow, and surfing”, according to the report.

Ray is survived by her young daughter and leaves behind family, friends and followers who have shared tributes following news of her death.