Charlotte Dawson, a famous New Zealand/Australian model, best known for being a judge on Australia’s Next Top Model, was found dead inside her apartment yesterday, February 22. She was 47 years of age.
At this time it is unknown what caused Dawson’s death, but police don’t believe anything criminal or suspicious took place.
However, many are questioning if Dawson took her own life, because she’s been known to battle depression in the past and she tried to commit suicide in 2012, after receiving online death threats. The death threats came from people who were mad at the fact that she joined the anti-cyberbullying organization Community Brave.
Dawson became a professional model at the age of 16, after leaving her native New Zealand and moving to Europe. She eventually signed a contract with the New York based Ford Models agency and became entrenched in Australia’s fashion scene. Soon after that, she became a huge TV personality in that country.
Charley D…Just don't understand. There's not enough kind souls as it is. Rest in peace.
— Russell Crowe (@russellcrowe) February 22, 2014
In 1999 she married Scott Miller, an Olympic swimmer, but the marriage didn’t last a full year, which caused Dawson to suffer tremendously. Recently, Miller spoke to 60 Minutes in Australia, and Dawson said she couldn’t watch the interview because it brought up some very difficult feelings.
“I fear that watching [the interview], as it’s about the most painful time in my life,” she said. “[Our divorce] broke me very much. I had to go away for five years and rebuild my life. I’ve adjusted and moved on, but it is still very painful.”
Longtime friend and actor Russell Crowe sent out a tweet after hearing about the news and said he’s saddened and confused. He also said that Dawson had a beautiful spirit.
“Charley D….just don’t understand,” he wrote. “There’s not enough kind souls as it is. Rest in peace.”
Image via Wikimedia Commons