Who was Sahara Ray? Australian model and swimwear designer dies at 34

Sahara Ray, the Australian model and founder of the swimwear brand Sahara Ray Swim, has died at the age of 34, only months after becoming a mother to a baby girl. According to her family, she passed away in hospital on October 18 with her loved ones at her side. No cause of death has been made public.

Speaking to TMZ, her family said she died peacefully with relatives around her and described her as someone who was deeply loved.

In recent years, Ray had been open about her experience with Guillain-Barré syndrome, a rare autoimmune disorder in which the body’s immune system damages the nerves. She had shared that the illness left her partially paralysed after she was involved in a serious car accident. It has not been confirmed whether the condition played any role in her death.

Becoming a mother marked a meaningful new chapter for Ray. Her final Instagram post was a loving tribute to her daughter, whom she described as “my whole heart,” a message that now reads as an especially moving farewell.

Ray had stepped back from public life over the past few years. Her last widely reported appearance came in November 2023, when she attended the 10th-anniversary runway show for designer Ashton Michael, titled Punk Tsugi, in Los Angeles. She was accompanied by musician Mod Sun (born Derek Ryan Smith), and wore a soft pink sheer gown with her hair styled in a high ponytail. The two were spotted together again in Malibu in June 2024, where Mod Sun gave her an impromptu roadside performance. While they were romantically linked, the couple chose to keep their relationship largely out of the spotlight.

Ray first gained recognition as a model and social media figure before branching out into fashion with her own swimwear line. She drew wider media attention in 2016 when she was photographed with Justin Bieber in Hawaii, and she was also romantically linked at one point to Australian singer Cody Simpson.

Born to celebrated Australian surfer Tony Ray, Sahara grew up moving between Australia, California and Hawaii, a childhood shaped by the ocean and the surf culture that would later influence her work.

She is survived by her young daughter and her family.