Jael Strauss, America's Next Top Model contestant, dies aged 34 after battle with breast cancer

Jael Strauss, who was a contestant on America’s Next Top Model (ANTM) season 8, died at the age of 34 after a battle with breast cancer, according to an update posted on her fundraising page GoFundMe, reports CNN. [caption id=“attachment_5676921” align=“alignnone” width=“825”] Jael Strauss. Image from Twitter @JFuzion[/caption] “Today we lost our earth angel and she is back in the spirit world from which she came and we know she will be watching over all of us. She will dance at how we celebrate her life by spreading the love that she lived by daily with a reckless abandon,” read the post. The fundraising account was set up by her partner Cody Haynes to help pay her medical expenses and had collected $19,000. Strauss had announced the news of her stage 4 breast cancer diagnosis on Facebook in October this year and had entered hospice care in November. E!News writes that after her appearance on the Tyra Banks-hosted group in 2007, her family had organised an intervention on Dr Phil to overcome her crystal meth addiction in 2012. Fellow ANTM alum Jaslene Gonzalez expressed her remorse upon hearing about Strauss’ death.

Guys, I heard about #jaelstrauss passing today and I’m so sad about it. I wish I could of seen her once more. She was going through a whole lot. We don’t know for what reasons, but man was she one of the strongest I knew. My prayers are with her and her family. 💔🙏🏻

— Jaslene Gonzalez (@jaslenegonzalez) December 4, 2018