Who was Sahara Ray? She was an Australian model and swimwear designer who has died tragically at the age of 34.
That’s renewed interest in her alleged boyfriend and dating history, including the times she made headlines because of Justin Bieber, Mod Sun and Cody Simpson. Ray’s father is also famous; he is the Australian surfer Tony Ray. Ray gave birth to her first child, a daughter, in January.
The model’s cause of death is not yet clear. However, Ray’s family confirmed her death to TMZ, which broke the sad news on October 19, 2026. “She passed away last night surrounded by family at the hospital. She was so loved,” Ray’s family told the entertainment publication. Ray had a swimwear brand called Sahara Ray Swim. Ray previously told fans that she had Guillain-Barré syndrome, which is an autoimmune condition, but it’s not clear whether that had anything to do with her surprise death.
Tributes flowed for Ray. “Will always love you my sweet soul ❤️❤️❤️,” wrote model Becky Hearn in an Instagram tribute. She called Sahara “a pure one with a very big heart.”
Sahara Ray Was Photographed in Hawaii With Justin Bieber & Was Linked to Cody Simpson & Mod Sun
What’s the story between Ray and Bieber? Not much is known about any alleged relationship between them, but the possibility went public when they were photographed together at the beach before Bieber married his wife.
According to TMZ, those photos dated to 2016 when “she was photographed vacationing with Bieber in Hawaii.” USA Today referred to Ray as “Justin Bieber’s ex.” Page Six reported that Bieber and Ray “were spotted skinny dipping in Hawaii.”
She “also had a brief, headline-making romance with Cody Simpson in 2015,” according to E! News. He is a singer and actor from Australia.
She never confirmed either relationship.
Ray was also linked to musician Mod Sun after the end of his relationship with Avril Lavigne. In that case, they were spotted kissing, according to Page Six. She posted the photo of the kiss to her Instagram story but quickly deleted it. However, a source told Page Six that the situation was nothing serious, saying, “Mod is enjoying being single for the first time in years and having fun.”
According to Page Six, Ray “also posted a video over the weekend of herself sunbathing on Mod Sun’s back patio while he painted.” Those accounts date to 2023.
Sahara Ray Was a New Mom
Ray was also a social media influencer; she had almost 900,000 followers on her Instagram page. She hadn’t posted for some time, but did reveal on Instagram in May that she was “three months post-partum” in a fitness video.
“My little princess🤍 so blessed to have a happy healthy baby girl,” she wrote in May, sharing a video showing her with the child.
Her page was filled with photos and videos showing her with the girl. “Snow Ray 1/27/2026 🤍 I can’t believe I made this little Maricle with my body. I’m so proud and so in love,” she wrote. Her posts are focused on her baby and fitness and not relationships.
Ray did not publicly reveal the father of her baby.
