Sahara Ray’s Sister Honors Model After Suspected Overdose at 34
WHO:
Page Six - Sahara Ray was the daughter of surfer Tony Ray and real estate agent Gretchen Gia Bach.
Page Six - Ray previously dated Justin Bieber, Mod Sun and Cody Simpson.
Page Six - Jessica Serfaty, a “Days of Our Lives” alum, said she had been close friends with Sahara Ray for 11 years; they met on the set of DNCE’s “Cake by the Ocean” music video.
Us Magazine - Ruby Ray’s tribute referred to Sahara as “the most vivacious, intelligent, hilarious, kind, empathetic and breathtakingly beautiful soul.”
Us Magazine - Bryana Holly described Sahara Ray as a close friend and wrote, “There’s nobody like you. No soul more radiant, no mind more beautiful, no heart more loving.”
TMZ - Sahara Ray’s daughter is named Snow; her father is 38-year-old Michael Bradley Dow, according to Snow’s birth certificate obtained by TMZ.
NY Post - A friend of Sahara Ray posted a tribute remembering her as “beautiful, kind, funny.”
TMZ - Sahara Ray was an Australian model and swimwear entrepreneur; her younger sister is Ruby Ray.
Us Magazine - Ruby Ray described Sahara as her “beautiful big sister.”
NY Post - Ruby Ray paid tribute to Sahara, describing her as a “force of nature.”
WHAT:
Page Six - Jessica Serfaty said Ray’s life could hold “extraordinary beauty and profound pain at the same time,” and that “there wasn’t an easy answer” for how to help someone who was struggling.
Page Six - Serfaty said Ray was “beginning an entirely new chapter of her life” after becoming a mother.
Page Six - Ray’s mother wrote that she was wearing her daughter’s clothes and “sobbing” while reading and reposting tributes to her firstborn.
Page Six - Serfaty said Ray had struggled with her mental health in recent years and that she and Ray’s mother, Gretchen Gia Bach, had gathered people close to Ray to provide support.
Page Six - Serfaty said Ray had nearly 1 million Instagram followers and emphasized that being admired or surrounded by people did not necessarily mean someone felt understood or connected.
Page Six - Serfaty said she hoped Ray would be remembered for her laughter, generosity, love of animals and nature, and ability to make ordinary moments memorable.
Page Six - Ray’s family told TMZ she died surrounded by family at the hospital; Page Six reported she was placed on life support before her family decided to remove it.
NY Post - Sahara Ray’s daughter’s father had not been publicly identified by Sahara before her death.
Us Magazine - Bryana Holly wrote that she was “forever grateful” the universe allowed her and Sahara Ray to cross paths, and that she was lucky to have had Sahara in her life for many years.
TMZ - Snow’s birth certificate lists Michael Bradley Dow as her father.
NY Post - A friend’s tribute described Sahara Ray as “a ray of light to anyone who knew you” and “a true friend,” adding, “I miss you already. You were bigger than the whole sky.”
NY Post - A report said Sahara Ray’s cause of death had been revealed.
NY Post - Sahara Ray died months after giving birth to her daughter.
TMZ - Ruby shared an emotional social media tribute after Sahara’s sudden death at age 34.
Us Magazine - Ruby posted childhood and later photos of the sisters alongside her tribute.
Us Magazine - Ruby called Sahara “the most vivacious, intelligent, hilarious, kind, empathetic and breathtakingly beautiful soul” and “a force of nature.”
NY Post - Sahara died at age 34 in a Los Angeles hospital; her death was suspected to have resulted from a fentanyl overdose.
NY Post - Ruby shared a carousel of throwback photographs of the sisters on Instagram.
WHERE:
NY Post - Sahara died in a hospital in Los Angeles.
Us Magazine - Ruby shared her tribute via Instagram.
WHEN:
Page Six - Serfaty said Ray welcomed her daughter 11 months before her death.
Page Six - Serfaty said she met Ray in 2015; Page Six reported Ray welcomed her daughter in January.
Us Magazine - Ruby Ray posted her tribute on Monday, October 19.
NY Post - Ruby Ray shared her Instagram carousel on Tuesday, two days after Sahara Ray died.
TMZ - Snow was born at 12:19 AM.
WHY:
TMZ - Ruby’s tribute followed the death of her older sister.
NY Post - Ruby’s tribute followed Sahara’s suspected fentanyl overdose death.
HOW:
Page Six - Serfaty urged people to approach others with compassion and check on people who appear to be thriving.
TMZ - Sahara Ray’s mother, Gretchen Gia Bach, said she put on one of her daughter’s outfits, broke down in tears, and scrolled through tributes to her daughter.
TMZ - A former roommate alleged in court documents that Sahara Ray had taken Xanax without a prescription and behaved erratically a couple of years before her death.
Us Magazine - Ruby posted her tribute with several photographs of the sisters.
NY Post - Ruby shared the tribute as an Instagram carousel.
(UPDATED October 22, 2026 00:07 UTC)
Australian model and swimwear entrepreneur Sahara Ray has died at 34 in a Los Angeles hospital, months after becoming a mother. Her family said she died surrounded by relatives; she was placed on life support before they decided to remove it. Her cause of death has not been confirmed here, though her death was suspected to involve fentanyl. Ray’s younger sister, Ruby, shared childhood and later photos in an emotional tribute, calling her a “force of nature” and praising her warmth, humor and empathy. Friends also remembered Ray as generous, radiant and deeply loved. Actress Jessica Serfaty, who said she had been close to Ray for 11 years, recalled her struggles with mental health and efforts by friends and family to support her. Serfaty said Ray was beginning a new chapter as a mother, and urged people to check on others, even when they seem to be thriving.
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(UPDATED October 21, 2026 23:12 UTC)
Australian model and swimwear entrepreneur Sahara Ray has died at 34 in a Los Angeles hospital. Her family said she died surrounded by relatives; she had been placed on life support before they decided to remove it. Her death was suspected to have resulted from a fentanyl overdose. Ray had welcomed a daughter, Snow, months earlier, and her birth certificate names Michael Bradley Dow as the child’s father. Ray’s younger sister, Ruby, shared photographs of the two and called Sahara a “force of nature,” praising her warmth, humor and empathy. Close friend Jessica Serfaty said she had known Ray for 11 years, after they met on a music-video set. Serfaty said Ray had struggled with her mental health and that friends and her mother had gathered to support her. She urged people to check in with others, even those who seem to be thriving.
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(UPDATED October 21, 2026 15:02 UTC)
Sahara Ray’s mother, Gretchen Gia Bach, said she put on one of her daughter’s outfits, broke down in tears, and scrolled through tributes. Ray’s daughter’s father had not been publicly identified by Ray before her death. Her daughter Ruby Ray shared an Instagram carousel and tribute on Monday, October 19, two days after Sahara died.
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(UPDATED October 21, 2026 11:00 UTC)
Model Bryana Holly paid tribute to her close friend Sahara Ray, saying she was “forever grateful” their paths crossed and lucky to have had Ray in her life for many years. Holly wrote, “There’s nobody like you. No soul more radiant, no mind more beautiful, no heart more loving.” Ruby Ray also remembered Sahara as “the most vivacious, intelligent, hilarious, kind, empathetic and breathtakingly beautiful soul.”
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(UPDATED October 21, 2026 02:18 UTC)
TMZ reports that Sahara Ray’s daughter, Snow, was born at 12:19 a.m. Her birth certificate lists 38-year-old Michael Bradley Dow as her father. TMZ says it obtained the certificate.
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(UPDATED October 21, 2026 01:26 UTC)
A report says Sahara Ray’s cause of death has been revealed, months after she gave birth to a daughter. A friend remembered Ray as “beautiful, kind, funny,” and described her as “a ray of light to anyone who knew you” and “a true friend,” adding, “I miss you already. You were bigger than the whole sky.” In court documents, a former roommate alleged that a couple of years before Ray’s death, she took Xanax without a prescription and behaved erratically.
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(UPDATED October 21, 2026 00:30 UTC)
Australian model and swimwear entrepreneur Sahara Ray has died at 34 in a Los Angeles hospital, with a suspected fentanyl overdose reported as the cause. Her younger sister, Ruby Ray, shared an emotional Instagram tribute with photos of the two together. Ruby called Sahara her “beautiful big sister” and a “force of nature,” praising her as vivacious, kind and breathtakingly beautiful.