Sahara Ray dead at 34: Swimsuit model who once dated Justin Bieber passes away just months after welcoming first child

Sahara Ray, an Australian-American swimsuit model and daughter of big wave surfer Tony Ray, has died at age 34.

'She passed away last night surrounded by family at the hospital. She was so loved,' her family told TMZ. 

A cause of death is not yet known. 

The heartbreaking death comes less than a year since Ray gave birth to her first child, a daughter named Snow. 

Ray first made headlines in 2016 when she was rumoured to have dated Justin Bieber.

They were famously caught by the paparazzi enjoying a skinny dipping session in August, 2016. 

She was also previously romantically linked to male supermodel Jordan Barrett and Aussie singer Cody Simpson. 

The Daily Mail has contacted representatives for Ray and Bieber for comment. 

Like her famous father, she grew up an avid surfer, but gave it up as a teenager to pursue a career in modelling and fashion.

'Every winter I would spend 3 months on the north shore of Hawaii with my dad. He was a professional surfer, so I used to travel all over the with him while he was competing in the pipe masters & big wave competitions,' she told GQ in 2015. 

The Torquay, Australia-born star moved to Los Angeles, where she enrolled in The Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising (FIDM).

Sahara went on to forge a successful career as a model and even launched her own swimwear line, Sahara Ray Swim.

She was also known for her friendship with British model and socialite Lottie Moss.

Sahara's notoriety only increased in the years since her romp with Bieber, mainly due to her penchant for sharing raunchy photos on Instagram.

Many of Sahara's posts show her completely naked. Others see her modelling skimpy outfits, including designs from her own swimwear brand, Sahara Ray Swim.

Like many provocative Instagram models, Sahara joined adult website OnlyFans in 2020. 

In July 2020, Sahara raised eyebrows by promising to release a 'sex tape' if she reached enough subscribers on OnlyFans.

Announcing her plans on Instagram at the time, the nude model wrote: 'Hey guys. I decided to come up with a little game to play.

'If I get to 10,000 subscribers, I will post a sex tape of me for free on my OnlyFans!'

Earlier this year Ray became a mother following the arrival of daughter Snow.  

Ray announced the arrival of Snow in January along with photos of the bundle of joy though never revealed the identity of her child's father. 

'Snow Ray 1/27/2026,' she wrote, adding: 'I can’t believe I made this little Maricle with my body. I’m so proud and so in love.'

Sahara also uploaded tearful video to her Stories showing herself cuddling up to little Snow while telling her fans: 'She's so beautiful'.

Her last Instagram post were photos of her baby girl. 'My whole heart (heart emoji) baby Snow,' she captioned the upload.  

Sahara has endured a difficult few years.

In May 2024 revealed she had been diagnosed with Guillain-Barré syndrome, a condition that sees the immune system attack the nerves.

At the time, she told her followers that she had paralysed from her upper thighs down to her feet and that she was reliant on a wheelchair and walker to get around.

'My whole life changed in an instant,' Sahara wrote alongside a series of clips of her journey with the disease.

She explained that she was hit by a drunk driver travelling at 80m/h on April 8.

'It basically sent my body into shock which sent my body into this crazy sickness,' she revealed.

'I got really really sick for like a week and a half to two weeks. During that time I barely ate any food because I couldn't keep it down and my body got really weak,' she continued.

Following her sickness she began to feel tingling and numbness in her feet which progressed to her legs.

The model was promptly rushed to the emergency room.

'This has been really hard to deal with and I've been trying keep a good attitude and be hopeful that my feeling comes back,' she told her social media followers.

She appeared to have seen a significant improvement in her health since then.

Sahara also made headlines in December 2021 when she announced she had begun a 30-day treatment program for drug and alcohol abuse at a facility in Miami. 

The model also sparked concern in June 2020 when she penned an emotional Instagram post claiming she'd been a victim of male predatory behaviour.