Body of Model Sahara Ray Released to Family Following Fentanyl Overdose

The body of model Sahara Ray has been released to her family following her death at age 34 earlier this month. Ray died on October 18 in a Los Angeles area hospital, two days after a fentanyl overdose reportedly placed her on life support, according to a source close to Ray.

Ray's relatives made the decision to remove her from life support, the source told The Daily Mail. Autopsy on Ray has been completed, with officials from the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner's Office awaiting toxicology results to publicly release her official cause of death.

Ray's mother, Gretchen Bach, described her daughter as an "incredibly passionate and kind young woman who loved her family, fashion, her daughter Snow, and surfing." She added, "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 Ray's ex-boyfriend, Mod Sun, paid tribute to her on Instagram, calling her "pure magic" and "a true love." He stated, "She just saw life differently. I really do think she was just too special for this world."

Ray, daughter of surfer Tony Ray, was first linked to Justin Bieber in 2016. She established herself as a model and social media personality with over 905,000 Instagram followers. She also studied at The Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising (FIDM) and had a swimwear brand called Sahara Ray Swim.

More than two years ago, Ray spoke about her diagnosis of Guillain-Barré syndrome following a 2024 car accident where she was struck by a drunk driver. She described experiencing partial paralysis from her thighs to her feet, requiring a wheelchair and walker, and stated that the aftermath sent her body "into shock," leading to her illness. She recounted being unable to keep food down and becoming very weak, eventually requiring emergency room transport due to tingling and numbness in her feet and legs.