The father of model Jeremy Ruehlemann, who died over the weekend, said his son's death might be linked to substance abuse.
"He did rehab and had tried to get off prescription medication," Achmin Ruehlemann told the Daily Mail. "Obviously, he was not successful."
Jeremy Ruehlemann's toxicology report has not yet been finalized, so Achmin Ruehlemann said he's not "100 percent sure exactly what happened," but speculated that it was "accidental" and related to drug use.
"There was no desire to end his life, this was accidental," Achmin Ruehlemann said. "Obviously, he had some issues with drug addiction, but he was very happy. He loved life. He was very vibrant, a wonderful soul and a very giving guy."
In a statement provided to the Daily Mail, the New York City Police Department said Jeremy Ruehlemann, 27, was found "unconscious and unresponsive" at a friend's New York apartment on Saturday morning and was pronounced dead at the scene.
Ruehlemann had been living in upstate New York with his mother and working at a restaurant in Woodstock as a bartender. He often traveled in the city for modeling jobs and would stay with his brother or friends.
Ruehlemann previously modeled for Perry Ellis and Superdry and appeared in GQ and Playhaus Magazine. His final Instagram post was a behind-the-scenes snap of a photo shoot with Tommy Hilfiger.
Fashion designer Christian Siriano wrote a tribute to his "muse" on Instagram on Monday: "I have never posted anything like this but to lose a friend who was such a beautiful soul is just really hard. This is for Jeremy, the most beautiful man that gave so much love to everyone he met no matter what. He was one of my muses and he always will be. He inspired me and I will love him forever."
Makeup artist Hung Vanngo also shared a tribute via Instagram: "Heartbroken by the news of my dear friend @Ruehlemann's passing. He made such a large impact on everyone he met. In this industry you meet a lot of people, but he was one of those people that even if you met him once he would have a part of your heart forever."
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