Disturbing photographs of troubled swimsuit model Sahara Ray and her former boyfriend have resurfaced after her death at the age of 34.
Sahara, the daughter of Australian big-wave surfer Tony Ray, died from a fentanyl overdose just months after welcoming her first child.
Her hard-partying lifestyle had prompted concern in recent years, with a number of social media posts alarming fans. Sahara later stepped away from public view, making her final known public appearance in late 2023.
Concern intensified in March 2023 after the Los Angeles-based socialite shared a series of Instagram images showing her topless in bed while holding what appeared to be a prop assault rifle.
Sahara, who went to rehab for drug and alcohol abuse in December 2021, appeared in a provocative schoolgirl-style skirt as she writhed beside her then-boyfriend, rapper Chris Miles, who has several face tattoos.
The Daily Mail has decided not to publish the disturbing images in their entirety.
Disturbing photographs of Sahara Ray and her former boyfriend have resurfaced following her death at 34. In March 2023, the Los Angeles-based model sparked concern after posting Instagram images of herself topless in bed with a prop assault rifle. (Pictured with then-boyfriend Chris Miles)
In the background, a table held what appeared to be a canister of nitrous oxide, known as a ‘nang’ in Australia and a ‘whippet’ in the United States
A canister of nitrous oxide could be seen on a table in the background. The substance is known as a ‘nang’ in Australia and a ‘whippet’ in the United States.
The canisters are commonly used as whipped-cream chargers, but some people inhale the nitrous oxide to experience a high.
The effects can include dizziness, uncontrollable laughter and hallucinations, although they are typically brief.
Excessive use can also be fatal, as nitrous oxide misuse may contribute to a heart attack.
In one image, Chris appeared to be squeezing Sahara’s face, while another showed him kissing her neck as they lay on the bed.
The musician, dressed in a puffer jacket, jeans and a hoodie, was also pictured with his hands around Sahara’s thigh while resting his head against her backside.
The posts prompted worried reactions from Sahara’s followers. One commenter asked, ‘What happened to you?’ Another wrote, ‘Darling, we can do better.’
‘So different from when I started following. She seems so lost,’ a third follower said.
Sahara’s followers voiced concern in the comments, with one asking: ‘What happened to you?’ Others told her, ‘This is Instagram, not OnlyFans’
Some users said they were going to unfollow Sahara, while others objected to the nature of the content, reminding her: ‘This is Instagram, not OnlyFans’.
Chris also reposted the images on Instagram and stated in the caption that the weapon Sahara was holding was a ‘fake gun’.
He included the abbreviation ‘TW’, meaning ‘trigger warning’, in the post.
Chris shared several tributes to Sahara in the hours since news broke of her death.
He initially uploaded a screenshot of a text conversation he’d shared with Sahara in September, in which she praised Chris for his music career.
‘Damn bae. You were doing so good @Sahara_Ray. I love you in every life. I can’t believe it wow WTF. Your soul was so pure but God gave you a broken brain’, he wrote.
‘You didn’t deserve to go through so much pain. I’m so sorry. I’m so, so sorry. I’m sorry. Damn bro, WTF?’ he added.
Chris has since deleted the post.
Chris has shared several tributes to Sahara in the hours since news broke of her death
He initially uploaded a screenshot of a text conversation he’d shared with Sahara in September, in which she praised Chris for his music career. ‘Damn bae. You were doing so good @Sahara_Ray. I love you in ever life. I can’t believe it wow WTF. Your soul was so pure but God gave you a broken brain’, he wrote
Sahara is pictured with her former boyfriend Chris
He returned to Instagram to share a blurry photo of the wall with the words ‘Ima throw up’, as well as a gallery of throwback photos featuring himself and Sahara in happier times
He subsequently returned to Instagram to share a blurry photo of the wall with the words ‘Ima throw up’, as well as a gallery of throwback photos featuring himself and Sahara in happier times.
Among them was a photo of their arms showing how the couple had corresponding tattoos.
Chris had the words ‘Sahara killed me’ inked to his forearm, while Sahara’s said: ‘Chris Miles saved me.’
Sahara had a history of alarming fans with troubling social media posts.
In June 2020, the model sparked fears when she penned an emotional Instagram post claiming she’d been a victim of male predatory behaviour.
Then, in December 2024, she once again raised eyebrows after taking to Instagram Stories begging for help and claiming someone was ‘trying to kill’ her.
In the later-deleted posts, she wrote: ‘Somebody is trying to kill me. Please help me. I’m stuck on my farm in Hawaii and they poisoned me by putting puffer fish poisoning in my shoe. I’m alone and need help.’
Then, in April 2025, Sahara uploaded several graphic images of bloodied sheets and injuries she claimed she had sustained.
In April 2025, Sahara uploaded several graphic images of bloodied sheets and injuries she claimed she had sustained
Sahara later revealed that the posts were prompted by a mental health episode, for which she had later been treated in hospital.
Meanwhile, a TikTok video of a woman discussing Sahara’s alleged addiction to nitrous oxide has surfaced following the news of her death.
In the video, a woman named Kaylee – who claims to know one of Sahara’s close friends named Chloe – said Sahara’s battle with a neurological condition was not caused by a car crash, despite what Sahara claimed.
Back in May 2024, Sahara revealed she had been diagnosed with Guillain-Barré syndrome, a condition that sees the immune system attack the nerves.
At the time, Sahara said the condition was sparked by a car crash, after she was hit by a drunk driver travelling at 80mph.
‘It basically sent my body into shock which sent my body into this crazy sickness,’ she revealed, noting that she had been paralysed from her upper thighs down to her feet and was reliant on a wheelchair and a walker to get around.
However, Kaylee’s video told a different story.
Meanwhile, a TikTok video of a woman discussing Sahara’s alleged addiction to nitrous oxide has surfaced following the news of her death. In the video, a woman named Kaylee – who claims to know one of Sahara’s close friends named Chloe – said Sahara’s battle with a neurological condition was not caused by a car crash, despite what Sahara claimed
Friends and family have shared heartbreaking tributes to Sahara since the news of her death
She claimed that Chloe (who was also involved in the same car crash) had told her about Sahara’s use of nitrous oxide.
‘You know the big [nitrous oxide canisters] that are this thick and this big? [Sahara] would go through one a day. One a day,’ Kaylee alleged.
‘Chloe was in the [car] accident, like Chloe’s the one that got hurt in the accident. However, ‘you know who’, she like got released from the hospital the same day. Nothing was wrong with her,’ she said, referring to Sahara.
‘Two months later, after doing oxygen tanks every single day, going through a full one a day, she would start to be like, ‘Oh my gosh, I can’t feel my toes, or like I can’t feel my feet,” she went on.
‘And then next thing you know, she can’t feel from the waist down and she’s in a wheelchair, because of the [nitrous oxide] tanks, basically.’
Meanwhile, friends and family have shared heartbreaking tributes to Sahara following the news of her death.
Her younger sister Ruby Ray uploaded a heartbreaking Instagram post, describing the model as a vivacious, intelligent, hilarious and kind soul whose loss has left her world feeling impossibly dimmer.
In an emotional message, Ruby said she had looked up to her big sister since the moment she was born, describing Sahara as ‘magic’, ‘warmth’, ‘laughter’ and ‘love’.
Sahara’s sister Ruby (left) uploaded an Instagram post describing the model as a vivacious, intelligent, hilarious and kind soul whose loss has left her world feeling impossibly dimmer
Influencer Sabrina Zada (left), who worked as a model alongside Sahara, has also shared her heartbreak in a social media post
She added: ‘A light so bright that this world feels impossibly dimmer without her in it.’
Ruby admitted she was struggling to comprehend the devastating loss, writing: ‘How cruel it is to love someone so deeply and have nowhere for that love to go. To have a lifetime of memories behind you, but no more tomorrows together.’
‘I just want my big sister,’ she continued, expressing her wish for more time, conversations and laughter with Sahara.
‘If love alone could have kept you here, Sahara, you would have lived a thousand lifetimes,’ Ruby wrote. ‘I will spend the rest of mine loving you.’
Influencer Sabrina Zada, who worked as a model alongside Sahara, has also shared her heartbreak in a social media post.
Sharing photos of the pair together, she wrote: ‘You were bigger than the whole sky @sahara_ray,’
‘Still will always be. I don’t know what to do anymore. None of this makes sense without you. Selfishly I just assumed you’d be here because why wouldn’t somebody as beautiful, kind, funny, and interesting as you be here anymore.’
‘I’m very confused. I miss you. Please text me back and say it’s a moment and nothing more.’
On Monday, Sahara’s family confirmed to TMZ that Sahara had died.
‘She passed away last night surrounded by family at the hospital. She was so loved,’ her family said.
It remains unclear whether the overdose was accidental or deliberate.
Her heartbroken mother, real estate agent Gretchen Bach, also paid tribute to the model, telling the Mail: ‘Sahara was an incredibly passionate and kind young woman who loved her family, fashion, her daughter Snow, and surfing.
‘We’re feeling the love that is pouring in from her cherished friends, fans and the many communities that she was part of around the world.’
