Model and influencer Jeff Thomas, who was often spotted hob-knobbing with celebrities, has died. He was 35 years old.
Authorities discovered Thomas’ body last Wednesday at an apartment complex in Miami, with witnesses claiming that he jumped from the balcony, TMZ reported.
While the autopsy has been completed, officials haven’t officially disclosed a cause of death at this time. However, suicide is suspected, according to the outlet.
A fixture in the modeling world, Thomas had been signed to London-based agency AMCK, and appeared in various runway shows, magazines and commercials.
The native Floridian was also the founder and director of the art consultancy One Popsicle.
The fitness enthusiast was active on Instagram, where he frequently uploaded pictures of his ripped physique to his over 120,000 followers.
Some of the photos showed Thomas mingling with various A-list celebrities, including Megan Fox and Nicole Sherzinger.
In one of his final posts before he died, the influencer uploaded a pic of his latest tattoo, which read “resilience.”
Many in the modeling world took to social media to memorialize Thomas’ loss on his final Instagram post shared one week ago.
“I met you many years ago in NY,” Kris Haigh, an LA-based fashion designer, wrote on the model’s Instagram page. “You never failed to bring an up beat energy every time I saw you.”
Haigh added, “We never know what people are really going through. I will use this as a reminder to ask people how they are more even when they seem happy on the outside. RIP Jeff.”
Stuntman and fellow fashion model Joe Carozza recalled, “Your infectious smile always brought so much joy to my life. Rest in peace sweet boy.”
Thomas’ modeling agent Gerald Frankowski shared, “It was a pleasure to have been your agent. You did everything you needed to do to succeed in the biz. Frustrating at times but I knew your goals and your passion to get there. More important was the friendship we developed afterwards. Your heart was always in the right place. RIP #DIT.”
If you are struggling with suicidal thoughts or are experiencing a mental health crisis and live in New York City, you can call 1-888-NYC-WELL for free and confidential crisis counseling. If you live outside the five boroughs, you can dial the 24/7 National Suicide Prevention hotline at 988 or go to SuicidePreventionLifeline.org.