Renauld White, Trailblazing Model & 'Guiding Light' Star, Dies at 80
Renauld White has sadly died.
The model and actor passed away June 26 at the age of 80, WWD confirmed over the weekend.
He was under hospice care at Lenox Hill Hospital in Manhattan at the time of his death, according to his friend Jeffrey Banks, the fashion designer.
The cause of death is not yet known.
His funeral will be held on July 12 at 11 a.m. at the Whigham Funeral Home in his hometown of Newark, N.J., the outlet reports.
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In 1979, he became the second Black model to appear on the cover of GQ. He also helped to encourage diversity on the runways, including walking shows for brands and designers like Bill Blass in 1969, as well as shows for Calvin Klein, Ralph Lauren and Donna Karan. He came out of retirement in 2023 to appear in an ad campaign for Dolce & Gabbana that was shot by Steven Meisel.
Soap opera fans also know him from two-year run on CBS’ The Guiding Light in the ’80s. He did performances at La MaMa Experimental Theater in downtown Manhattan, and appeared in other plays.
David Neeman of the Loyalty Foundation, an organization that helps underserved communities, described the model, who was a former advisory board member, as “an extraordinary man, so kind, so patient, so thoughtful and a tremendous mentor,” via WWD.
He also “vividly remembered” the story Renauld told children in the Open Minds Mentorship Program in 2019 about “bursting into Wilhelmina, demanding to be seen, then getting an appointment the next day and how being booked changed his life. He is an absolute legend and pioneer and not just in fashion.”
Our thoughts are with Renauld White‘s loved ones at this difficult time. We have sadly lost many stars in 2024.