NEWSSahara Ray's Sister Speaks Out on Model's Tragic Death at 34 in Heartbreaking Tribute: 'A Force of Nature'
Sahara Ray died on October 18.
Oct. 20 2026, Published 12:14 p.m. ET
Sahara Ray's younger sister, Ruby Ray, is mourning the Australian model's death at 34, sharing an emotional tribute alongside a collection of photos documenting their lives together.
"My beautiful big sister, Sahara," Ruby wrote on Instagram on Tuesday, October 20. "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."
Sahara died Sunday, October 18, at a Los Angeles hospital, nine months after welcoming her daughter, Snow Ray Dow.
Ruby Ray paid an emotional tribute to her older sister, Sahara Ray.
Ruby Ray Remembers Her Sister as 'Everything Extraordinary About Being Human'
Sahara Ray's younger sister described the model as 'a force of nature.'
Ruby reflected on the bond she shared with Sahara, whom she had admired since childhood.
"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," she wrote.
"From the moment I entered this world, I looked up to her. In my eyes, she was everything extraordinary about being human. She was magic, she was warmth, she was laughter, she was love. She was, to me, the most incredible person to ever walk this earth," Ruby continued.
Sahara Ray's Sister Opens Up About the Pain of Losing Her
Ruby Ray said 'it is the most excruciating, all-consuming pain' she has ever experienced.
Ruby also described the difficulty of coming to terms with her sister's absence.
"How cruel it is to love someone so deeply and have nowhere for that love to go," she wrote. "To have a lifetime of memories behind you, but no more tomorrows together."
"I don't think there are words in any language capable of holding the weight of this heartbreak. I don't know how to make sense of a world that keeps turning when mine feels as though it has stopped," she shared. "God, grief hurts. It is the most excruciating, all-consuming pain I have ever been doused in. A pain that reaches into the deepest parts of your soul, into places you never knew existed, and leaves an emptiness that no words could ever begin to describe."
Ruby concluded her tribute, writing, "I just want my big sister. I want more time. More laughter. More conversations. More of her. If love alone could have kept you here, Sahara, you would have lived a thousand lifetimes. I will spend the rest of mine loving you."
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Sahara Ray's Cause of Death
Sahara Ray's official cause of death remains unconfirmed.
While reports have raised questions about the circumstances surrounding Sahara's death, authorities have not publicly confirmed what caused her passing.
Daily Mail reported that fentanyl was involved, though the claim has not been established through an official medical finding.
Sahara's family also addressed her death in a statement to TMZ, saying she was "so loved."
The model's passing came less than a year after she became a mother, marking a significant personal milestone before her sudden death.
Sahara Ray's Modeling Career
Sahara Ray built a modeling career and launched her swimwear brand, Sahara Ray Swim.
Sahara, the daughter of renowned Australian surfer Tony Ray, established herself as a model and entrepreneur, launching her own swimwear label, Sahara Ray Swim.
She also attracted attention for her personal life, including her reported romantic connection to Justin Bieber in 2016.
In recent years, Sahara has largely stepped away from the public spotlight. Her last reported public appearance was at the Ashton Michael RTW + 10th Anniversary Show in Los Angeles in November 2023.
