News: Zombie Boy Dies at 32
(Photo Credits: Screengrab from Lady Gaga YouTube)
Rick Genest—a Canadian model, actor, and artist known to everyone as Zombie Boy—was found dead at his apartment in Montreal, Canada last Wednesday.
He died by apparent suicide six days before his 33rd birthday, iHeartRadio reports. Zombie Boy was best known through his work with Lady Gaga on her music video for Born This Way (2011), a project that landed him modelling gigs both in the runway and in magazines such as Vanity Fair, Vogue Hommes, and GQ. He also appeared in Keanu Reeve’s film 47 Ronin (2013, Carl Rinsch).
“The suicide of friend Rick Genest, Zombie Boy is beyond devastating,” Lady Gaga said via Twitter. “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. If you are suffering, call a friend or family today. We must save each other.”
The suicide of friend Rick Genest, Zombie Boy is beyond devastating. 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. If you are suffering, call a friend or family today. We must save each other. pic.twitter.com/THz6x5JlpB
— Lady Gaga (@ladygaga) August 3, 2018
Science tells us that it takes 21 days to form a habit, if you are suffering from Mental Health issue I beckon for today to be your first day or a continuation of the work you’ve been doing. Reach out if you’re in pain, and if you know someone who is, reach out to them too. pic.twitter.com/4pVR5xyoH6
— Lady Gaga (@ladygaga) August 3, 2018
Genest’s management company also released a statement saying that he “was loved by all those who had the chance to meet him and know him.”
According to People, Zombie Boy broke the Guinness World Record for having the most insect tattoos on his body at 176. He also holds another record for having the most human bone tattoos (he had 139).
When he was alive, he was passionate about raising awareness to youth homelessness having worked with Home Depot Canada Foundation’s Orange Door Project.
Genest would have been 33 this August 7. He reportedly battled with mental health issues when he was alive.
If you or anyone you know is suffering from depression or are having suicidal thoughts, please call a friend, family, or any of these hotlines indicated in the tweet below as appropriate.
PLEASE reach out for help suicide is NOT the answer pic.twitter.com/E0ObCBGCz7
— DΔX™ (@Dax_x98) August 3, 2018
Celebrity suicides bring out our hypocrisy.
We write pithy statements with faux emotion and pretended compassion.
We write “Our hearts go out to…”
We put a filter over our Facebook image for 3 hours to build awareness.
PEOPLE ARE AWARE OF SUICIDE.
Celebrity suicides bring out our hypocrisy because we don’t really seem to give much of a damn when normal people commit suicide.
We are hypocrites for SAYING something, but DOING nothing.
Moreover, the person who commits suicide WANTS the outpouring we give and all the experts on suicidality say that we should do the OPPOSITE i.e. give no outpouring.
The outpouring actually increases the likelihood that others will commit suicide for the payoff of the outpouring.
Say nothing, but do something.
Stop the narcissism
I was depressed because of many aspects of life. Contradiction between my belief and my act is always be the battle. Responsibility and self fulfilment is another issue. Family relationship and fear of abondantment is adding the problem, personal health challenges and financial difficulty speeds up the deep if the depression. Get away seems is the only solution at that time. But lucky me, u was involved in spiritual aspect that help me the most, because therapist now is only pushing to take easy road, which is take medication instead of uncover the basic reason for depression. The therapist attempt to convince people who has depression take more and more medication with side effects is more suicidal. I wish therapust will spend quality time and quantity time to under deeper of the issue. Many mental health person will not open up immediately about the issue so it needs quantity time to develop some trust. So please have friends and professional with you
Oh well. Never knew him. Doesn’t break my heart. Next topic
I could be wrong but I’d probably kill myself too if I woke up every morning and looked at my face all tatted up . Wtf , that’s not mental illness but just a lifetime of mistakes and regrets .
I can’t say that, as a being and having been in his shoes…that I can not relate to the pain and feelings of degradation–associated with being all tatted-up on your face and body. (In, one to three day sessions–twice, over) by a group of that you trust…after you fall asleep…as a young boy…being kidnapped. And, the scum laughing and saying “you talked”
Never really heard of him. Not my kind of entertainment. Although I have heard of Lady Gaga. It’s sad that people (anyone) has to get so down and low that they take their own life.
Clearly he suffered from mental illness.
very sad. I wonder why he did it?
So loved and liked by so many if only you saw. Zombieboy Young Lion R.I.P. We are the one’s left here to reach out to those in need. Just give a hand to anyone . We can’t just sit back and wait for those in need to ask – go to them if you know someone in need and is hurting, you can help. Let us all do better we must stop turning our head away.Give more and take less.
It just makes my heart drop, every time I hear or read of it, someone so young, successful, on top of the world (to us) being dragged under by depression. Then, there’s that seeming crucial age 33… Seems almost biblical or something, people passing/committing suicide at that particular age.
Im a mexican living in america, hiv+, alone in america, no friends, no close family, i cant return to mexico, im afraid, insecure, working to survive, nothing to lose, and i been thinking in make that desition, same as him, i could make my own desition, i do not look for compasion, i look for understanding. Same as him.
Suicide is the chico en shit way out of it , you cant de al with life so you leave your family and friends to suffer even more with no answer, no relief…there is not one things on this worth worth tskinh your one life unless the physical pain is unbearable