Sahara Ray, the model and fashion designer who built a swimwear label and a large social-media following, has died at 34. Her family confirmed the news to TMZ on Monday: she passed away last night surrounded by family at the hospital, and she was so loved.
No cause of death has been disclosed. Ray had spoken publicly in 2024 about a diagnosis of Guillain-Barré syndrome, a rare autoimmune disorder that attacks the nerves, saying she was paralysed from the upper thighs down, could not walk, and was primarily using a wheelchair and a walker.
Ray founded her own label, Sahara Ray Swim, after taking classes at the Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising, building the brand on her modelling profile.
She was the daughter of legendary Australian surfer Tony Ray and spent much of her childhood between Australia, California and Hawaii. She had recently welcomed a daughter, Snow, earlier this year.
Ray first drew tabloid attention in 2016, when she was photographed on vacation in Hawaii with Justin Bieber, and had previously been linked to Australian singer Cody Simpson in 2015. Tributes from followers and fellow models spread across social media on Monday as the news circulated.
