Model and social media influencer Jeff Thomas paid a final visit to his beloved grandmother at her Florida home days before he died in a suspected suicide after sources claim he fell from an apartment balcony.
The 35-year old’s body was discovered outside an apartment complex in Miami on March 8 and an official cause of death is yet to be established while an autopsy is carried out.
But sources believe Thomas, a popular figure on Instagram with over 120,000 followers, who has been seen mingling with celebrities such as Megan Fox, took his own life after throwing himself from an apartment balcony in the Florida city, TMZ reports.
Three days before his unexpected death, he posted about visiting his grandmother at her Fort Lauderdale home, and admitted the journey came amid a hectic period following a recent move from California to Florida.
In the post, he is pictured with his arms around his grandmother smiling as she sits in a chair holding his French bulldog on her lap – a dog that he we was devoted to- and called himself a ‘proud dog dad.’ The model was also an aspiring firefighter and was taking EMT classes.
Tragic: Model and social media influencer Jeff Thomas has died in a suspected suicide after falling from an apartment balcony, sources claim
A photo of Thomas pictured with celebrity Megan Fox
Poignant: On March 6, just days before his death, Thomas visited his grandmother at her home in Fort Lauderdale, Florida (pictured)
‘Surprising my very special Grandma after her two week cruise from California to Florida with her friend, Beverly. Her dear friend decided to take my beloved Grandma on the cruise after originally planning to go with her recent husband whom passed away during the pandemic,’ he wrote.
‘It was a process to do it all after finagling my hectic work day/week, the start to my EMT classes, getting a flat tire, moving into my new home and my transition moving from Los Angeles to Miami.
‘However, somehow I make it work for those that I love, deserve it and appreciate those efforts since they do the same for me.’
He also shared a photo of his latest tattoo – the single word ‘Resilience’ inked into his lower-right arm on March 6, two days before his death.
The news of his sudden passing sent shockwaves through the model and entertainment industry and in his hometown of Dallas, Texas leaving many in mourning.
One person wrote: ‘Hey Jeff, I love you till the end of time. My brotha from another’s motha. Rest easy my dear friend. I’m at a loss of words.’
Another said: ‘My sweet Jeff we were just making plans, you were just making jokes., we were just daydreaming about Europe together. It’s so hard to process, to think that there won’t be a next time. There’s such a void. I know deep down you know that. You know we loved you so much and always wanted the best for you, the same way you wanted it for everyone else. I’m going to miss you, your smile, your texts, your dancing so, so, so much.’
The Miami-based model was signed to the London-based agency AMCK models and had previously featured in a series of commercials and catwalk shows.
His muscular physique singled him out as the perfect candidate for underwear modelling, while his Instagram account featured numerous images and videos of the fitness enthusiast showing off his body on the beach.
In his last social media video, posted just weeks before his death on February 28, Thomas is seen working out in a local gym, the Miami coastline partially visible through a nearby window.
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Captioning the footage, he wrote: ‘Set the tone with your warm up.’
His final post, shared from a local spa, captured Thomas reclining in a plunge pool with the caption: ‘A cold plunge a day, keeps the doctor away.’
Adding a series of hashtags, the model referenced ‘self-care’ and ‘mental health.’
Successful: The Miami-based actor and model was signed to the London-based agency AMCK models and had previously featured in a series of commercials and catwalk shows
Fit and healthy: Thomas’s Instagram account featured numerous images and videos of the fitness enthusiast showing off his body on the beach
Stunned: Followers have commented on the post in the wake of his unexpected death
Body art: Thomas also shared a photo of his latest tattoo – the single word ‘Resilience’ inked into his lower-right arm
Friends, colleagues and followers have since paid tribute to the model across social media, with many praising him for his ‘positive energy.’
Vice president of Men’s Design, Kris Haigh, wrote: ‘I met you many years ago in NY. You never failed to bring an upbeat energy every time I saw you.
Another friend added: ‘My sweet Jeff. We were just making plans, you were just making jokes, we were just daydreaming about Europe together. It’s so hard to process, to think that there won’t be a next time.
‘There’s such a void. I know deep down you know that. You know we loved you so much and always wanted the best for you, the same way you wanted it for everyone else.
‘I’m going to miss you, your smile, your texts, your dancing so so so much.’
Tributes: Friends, colleagues and followers – among them his former agent – have since paid tribute to the model across social media, with many praising him for his ‘positive energy’
Last post: Thomas shared his last post, a reference to mental health, shortly before his death
A third wrote: ‘My beautiful best friend for life! Words don’t describe how special and magical you were. Your joy for life touched soooo many from coast to coast to around the world. You will be forever in my heart my dear friend. I love you!’
Elsewhere his former agent Gerald Frankowski added: ‘It was a pleasure to have been your agent. You did everything you needed to do to succeed in the biz.
‘Frustrating at times but I knew your goals and your passion to get there. More important was the friendship we developed afterwards. Your heart was always in the right place. RIP.’
If you have been affected by anything in this article, please call The Samaritans on 116 123 for confidential assistance.
