Model Niece Waidhofer has died, aged 31.
The influencer, who amassed millions of followers on Instagram, died by suicide at her home in Houston, her family confirmed.
‘Sadly, Niece took her own life after a long battle with mental health issues,’ they told.
‘She was very open with her followers about her struggles, even wanting to help followers who also suffered.
‘Niece was more than her struggles. She was beautiful and kind, sensitive and funny, creative and talented, generous and compassionate, thoughtful and challenging.
‘While it is so very painful to say goodbye, we take comfort knowing she is reunited with her father, her three grandparents, her Uncle Rusty, and her beloved Puff; and that she is now free to be herself and, finally, at peace.’
They will now be setting up a non-profit organization in her honor, named ‘Peace from Niece’.
Through the charity, they are hoping to provide awareness for mental health issues, and offer grants for research.
Speaking of Waidhofer’s death, law enforcement officials told the publication that they were called by a concerned family member to check on her last month – and discovered her body at the property.
The late star sparked concern at the beginning of last month when she reportedly scrubbed her social media page, leaving only three photos.
The posts that are visible include an engagement photo originally posted in June, 2015, and a video as Waidhofer danced with her dog.
Her last upload on the platform was a selfie from March of this year, where she posed in a car.
‘Mildly interesting: blonde is actually my natural color, I have been living a lie all these years,’ she captioned the picture, which has got more than 69,000 likes so far.
‘Once you go black, you have to paint your blonde roots with mascara every time they grow out until you go back.’
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