Sahara Ray's Friend Remembers Model After 'Shocking Death'

Sahara Ray's friend Sabrina Zada has paid tribute to the model, who died at the age of 34, describing her as "beautiful, kind, funny, and interesting."

"You were bigger than the whole sky @sahara_ray still will always be," Zada wrote on Instagram alongside a series of photos of herself and Ray. "Guess I just assumed you’d be here forever because why wouldn’t somebody as beautiful, kind, funny, and interesting as you be here anymore. I miss you already. You were a ray of light to anyone who knew you and a true friend. I love you forever Sahara. Rest easy angel ♡"

In the post, Zada shared various photos of her and Ray, including snaps from a photo shoot and selfies. One slide featured a screen recording from 2021 showing Zada texting Ray about visiting her in the hospital for an undisclosed health issue.

Ray, an Australian native, was reportedly hospitalized after an overdose of the synthetic opioid fentanyl. According to reports, she was placed on life support on Friday and her family made the decision to remove her from life support on Sunday. An official cause of death has not been released, and it is unclear if the overdose was accidental or intentional.

Ray's mother, Gretchen Bach, released a statement saying, "Sahara was an incredibly passionate and kind young woman who loved her family, fashion, her daughter Snow, and surfing." The statement also acknowledged the "love that is pouring in from her cherished friends, fans and the many communities that she was part of around the world."

Ray, who was romantically linked to Justin Bieber in 2016, had recently welcomed her daughter, Snow Ray Dow, in January. She shared photos of her baby on social media in April, captioning them, "My whole heart 🤍 baby Snow."

Ray had also publicly dated rapper Mod Sun, and the two were last seen together in November 2023.