Model Sahara Ray, the daughter of pro surfing star Tony Ray who was reportedly linked to singer Justin Bieber a decade ago, has died at the age of 34, her family confirmed.
A cause of death has not been officially confirmed by authorities.
“She passed away last night surrounded by family at the hospital. She was so loved,” Ray’s family told TMZ in a statement.
Sahara Ray, the daughter of Australian surfing legend Tony Ray, has died aged 34, with the cause of death still unknown. https://t.co/yCkMd8fDnW
— News24 Australia (@News24Aust) October 19, 2026
Ray’s younger sister, Ruby Ray, shared an emotional tribute to her sibling in an Instagram post.
“The most vivacious, intelligent, hilarious, kind, empathetic and breathtakingly beautiful soul. A force of nature. A light so bright that this world feels impossibly dimmer without her in it,” Ruby Ray wrote. “Sahara has moved from this life into another, and I am left trying to comprehend how someone so full of life can no longer be here to live it.”
Sahara Ray’s death comes after she gave birth to a daughter, Snow, in January, news.com.au reported.
In her final social media post in July, Sahara Ray posted a tribute to the child, describing her as her “whole heart.”
Sahara Ray was born in Australia and grew up in Santa Cruz, California, People reported.
“Every winter I would spend three months on the north shore of Hawaii with my dad,” she told GQ in 2015. “He was a professional surfer, so I used to travel all over the (world) with him while he was competing in the pipe masters and big wave competitions.”
Tony Ray, an Australian native, was ranked as high as No. 11 worldwide in 1992, according to the Encyclopedia of Surfing.
Sahara Ray built a large following on social media and became a celebrity through her modeling career, People reported. She also had a swimwear line of apparel called Sahara Ray Swim.
She made headlines for spending time with Bieber in 2016 when she was photographed vacationing with the singer in Hawaii, according to the magazine. She was also reportedly linked to singer Cody Simpson and musician Mod Sun, News24.au reported.
In 2024, Sahara Ray opened up about her battle with Guillain-Barré syndrome -- a rare neurological disorder that left her partially paralyzed after a serious car accident, according to TMZ.
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