Model and social media influencer Jeff Thomas has died in a suspected suicide after falling from an apartment balcony, sources claim.
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, took his own life after throwing himself from an apartment balcony in the Florida city, TMZ reports.
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.
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.
Tragic: Model and social media influencer Jeff Thomas has died in a suspected suicide after falling from an apartment balcony, sources claim
Sad: 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
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.
Captioning the footage, he wrote: ‘Set the tone with your warm up.’
On March 6, two days before his body was discovered, Thomas shared a photo of his latest tattoo – the single word ‘Resilience’ inked into his lower-right arm.
That same day Thomas paid a visit to his grandmother at her Fort Lauderdale home, but admitted the journey came amid a hectic period following a recent move from California to Florida.
Captioning a post, he wrote: 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.
‘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.’
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
Poignant: On March 6, just days before his death, Thomas visited his grandmother at her home in Fort Lauderdale, Florida (pictured)
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 World Mental Health Day, 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.