Scottish supermodel Stella Tennant has suddenly died, her family announced on Wednesday, Dec. 23.
She passed away on Tuesday, five days after her 50th birthday, they said in a statement obtained by The Guardian. "It is with great sadness we announce the sudden death of Stella Tennant on December 22, 2020," their message read. "Stella was a wonderful woman and an inspiration to us all. She will be greatly missed. Her family asks for their privacy to be respected. Arrangements for a memorial service will be announced at a later date."
While a cause of death has not yet been shared, a Police Scotland spokesperson told E! News there were no suspicious circumstances around her death. "Officers were called to an address in Duns around 11.30 a.m. on Tuesday, December 22 following the sudden death of a 50-year-old woman," the spokesperson said. "Her next of kin have been made aware...a report will be submitted to the procurator fiscal."
Tennant is survived by estranged husband David Lasnet, their son Marcel, 22, and three daughters—Cecily, 19, Jasmine, 18, and Iris, 16. The supermodel's death comes four months after the Daily Mail reported that she and Lasnet had split after 21 years of marriage.
Tennant rose to fame in the '90s, working alongside the likes of Kate Moss, Naomi Campbell and Cindy Crawford. Known for her pixie haircut, Tennant appeared in ad campaigns for brands such as Calvin Klein, Chanel and Burberry, and modeled for top designers such as the late Alexander McQueen and the late Karl Lagerfeld, as well as Donatella Versace.
Tennant retired from the modeling industry in 1998 while pregnant with her eldest child. She made a modeling comeback shortly after giving birth to Jasmine in 2002, appearing in a Burberry campaign, according to Vogue. In 2012, she, Moss, Campbell and other supermodels appeared onstage at the 2012 London Olympics' closing ceremony to pay tribute to the British fashion industry.
Following news of her sudden death, several famous figures in the fashion industry paid tribute to Tennant on social media.
"Stella, I cannot believe you are gone," Versace wrote on Instagram on Wednesday. "You have left us way too soon. We met when you were at the beginning of your career. I cherish every moment we spent together. Ciao. Rest In Peace. Donatella."
Campbell wrote on her own page, "#STELLA TENNANT CLASS ACT IN EVERYWAY Humble, loyal , balanced practical , a rare beauty inside and out , you were one of the goods ones never any love lost when we would see each other always picked up from where we left off ,. Effortless and the epitome of Grace , even when you would sit in a corner doing your needle point . Timeless Angel amongst us . my deepest condolences to your beautiful children family and loved ones ., ICON YOU WILL ALWAYS BE . R.I.P"
Crawford also mourned Tennant on Instagram, writing, "Stella Tenant, gone too soon...I always admired her fearlessness and style. Sending prayers to her family."