The Tragic Death Of Model Niece Waidhofer

Niece Waidhofer has died. The popular influencer tragically took her own life at 31, according to TMZ, after experiencing mental health issues. Her family confirmed the tragedy in a statement, saying, "She was very open with her followers about her struggles, even wanting to help followers who also suffered." They added, "Niece was more than her struggles. She was beautiful and kind, sensitive and funny, creative and talented, generous and compassionate, thoughtful and challenging." They also shared they took comfort in knowing she'd been reunited with several family members, including her late dad, touchingly noting, "She is now free to be herself and, finally, at peace."

The outlet reported that some of Waidhofer's followers and Reddit users had become concerned for her after noticing that she'd deleted several photos from her Instagram account prior to her death. When she died, her page only had three uploads still available to view. The first photo was from 2015 and showed her proudly showing off her engagement ring as she embraced her husband to be. "My love, you are all I will ever want. I will love you with my entire heart until I take my last breath," she now bittersweetly captioned it. It's not thought she was married at the time of her death. The second post was a video from 2017 that showed her holding a dog, and her now final post was a stunning selfie posted on March 25 as she showed off a new hairdo.

Social media users shared plenty of touching tributes to Niece Waidhofer after learning of her sudden death, which happened in May. "Just read about Niece Waidhofer, man that's so tragic. I know this isn't my usual kind of tweet but I always found her funny and gorgeous. Hope she's at peace now," one person tweeted. Another wrote on Twitter, "RIP Niece Waidhofer, absolutely tragic, so much undeserved hate over the years, so many awesome pictures. I hope people respect yours and your family's privacy now."

Waihofer's cousin, Austin Reyna, appeared to first confirm Waidhofer's death in late May when he referred to her as his "best friend" in a touching Instagram post, which including several photos of the model. "She was more than a cousin. She was a sister to me," he wrote (via Twitter). "So much of who I am is because of her."

Waidhofer was a successful model and influencer and had her photos featured across all corners of the internet, including the social media pages of the likes of Revista H and "Rod Ryan Show." Waidhofer's Reddit community, which has since been turned into a place to share tributes to the star, has over 140,000 members. Her family also shared plans with TMZ to set up a mental health charity in Waidhofer's name, called "Peace from Niece."

If you or anyone you know is having suicidal thoughts, please call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline​ at​ 1-800-273-TALK (8255)​.