Lady Gaga‘s friend and model Rick “Zombie Boy” Genest has died of apparent suicide, the singer confirmed. He was 32.
Genest, who lived in Montreal, Canada, was found dead in his home on Wednesday, according to iHeartRadio Canada.
The “Million Reasons” singer also shared the sad news on Twitter Thursday, confirming he has taken his own life.
“The suicide of friend Rick Genest, Zombie Boy is beyond devastating,” she tweeted honoring the model who was best known for his breakout role in her 2011 music video “Born This Way”.
“We have to work harder to change the culture, bring Mental Health to the forefront and erase the stigma that we can’t talk about it.”
“If you’re suffering, call a friend or family today,” she added. “We must save each oth
In a second tweet, the singer shared, “Science tells us that it takes 21 days to form a habit, if you’re suffering from [a] Mental Health issue I beckon for today to be your first day or a continuation of the work you’ve been doing.
“Reach out if you’re in pain, and if you know someone who is, reach out to them too,” she tweeted.
Genest currently holds a Guinness World Record for the most insect tattoos on his body (a total of 176) as well as another record for the most human bone tattoos at 139.
The Canadian native would have celebrated his 33rd birthday on Aug. 7.
On his Instagram page, his last post — which went up on Thursday after his death — was a photo of a dark background and a ring of light.
Before he had any tattoos, Genest was diagnosed with a brain tumor. He was on the waiting list for six months, where he contemplated his own life and possible death, before undergoing the surgery with minimal complications.
Leaving his house one day, he went for a walk and decided to live downtown, on rooftops or under bridges. Hitchhiking became his main method of transportation. According to his video, he started living "an anarchistic lifestyle". He claims to have already been introduced to punk rock, the punk scene and freak shows before his decision to tattoo himself.
Genest spoke about always being into horror films ever since a young age, and always wanted to express himself through it; the sideshow also being influential as well. As he grew up in Montréal, tattoos were very common within the culture. As he grew older, his tattoos grew, where he views his entire body as a one tattoo.