Lady Gaga mourned the death of Zombie Boy, saying on Thursday the apparent suicide of her "Born This Way" friend left her "beyond devastated," The Wrap reported.
Model Rick Genest, known as Zombie Boy due to detailed tattoos of bones and organs across his body and skull-like features on his face, died in Montreal's Plateau-Mont Royal borough on Wednesday evening.
Police suspect his death was a suicide but that has not been confirmed, The Independent reported.
The 32-year-old Genest appeared in Gaga's music video "Born This Way" and the two were reportedly good friends.
His death prompted Gaga to fire off a series of tweets reaching out to fans who may be struggling with mental illness.
"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," she tweeted. "If you are suffering, call a friend or family today. We must save each other."
Gaga went on to encourage others to "reach out if you’re in pain, and if you know someone who is, reach out to them too."
Suicide rates in the U.S. are on the rise, with nearly 45,000 lives lost to suicide in 2016 alone, according to a report by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Suicide is now the tenth leading cause of death in the country, according to the America Foundation for Suicide Prevention.
The topic has come to the forefront following the deaths of celebrity chef Anthony Bourdain and fashion designer Kate Spade, both who hung themselves earlier this year.
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