Australian model Lucy Markovic, a star of “Australia’s Next Top Model,” has died of a rare brain condition, her representatives announced Thursday. She was 27.
A post on her Instagram story confirmed the successful and prolific model’s death.
“I regret to inform you that Lucy has passed,” the post read. “She was at peace. Me, her mother and my mother were present with her.”
“We ask you to please give us space in these hard times,” it continued. It is unclear who posted the announcement to her account.
Markovic died of an arteriovenous malformation (AVM) in her brain, her management company, Elite Model Management New York City, said in a Thursday statement.
AVM is an “abnormal tangle of blood vessels” that cause issues with the connections between arteries and veins, according to the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke. It most often occurs in the spinal cord and brain.
The Australian Broadcasting Company reported Markovic spoke about her condition on social media in March, in a post that appears to have since been deleted. She told followers she needed surgery for an AVM “the size of a golf ball,” originally scheduled for March 26 but moved to April 2.
Markovic rose to stardom as the runner up on season 9 of “Australia’s Next Top Model” in 2015, losing by one point to Brittany Beattie. She was only a teenager at the time.
She later went on to work for high end brands like Armani, Versace and Victoria Beckham.
“Modeling was one of Lucy’s dreams, and we are deeply honored to have been part of that journey with her,” her management company posted. “She brought elegance, strength, and beauty to her work. But more than that, she brought herself — her warmth, her laughter, her light.”
Donatella Versace honored the late model as well, sharing a photo of Markovic walking the runway for one of her shows in 2023 on her Instagram story, writing “Rest in peace beautiful girl.”
“Lucy was a bright shining light, and had an incredible dry sense of humor,” Elite Model Management said. “Her smile and laughter could light up a room, and draw you closer to her. She loved to dance, she really shined.”
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