Charlotte Dawson Dead: 'Australia's Next Top Model' Judge Commits Suicide Amid Depression, Cyberbullying
Australian TV host Charlotte Dawson was found dead of an apparent suicide on Saturday after a long battle with depression.
The former "Australia's Next Top Model" judge, 47, reportedly took her own life inside of her Sydney home and her lifeless body was discovered by a real estate agent hours before the property was scheduled for auction, according to E! News.
Just one day prior, Dawson, who was renowned for her bubbly personality, was spotted enjoying brunch with a friend after filming a morning show. Onlookers claim the former model looked "healthy" and was "smiling in the sunshine," according to The Sydney Morning Herald.
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News of Dawson's death comes more than one year after a failed suicide attempt resulted in the prominent campaigner against cyberbullying being hospitalized following an overdose in 2012.
Dawson, who received a torrent of online abuse via social networking sites, eventually gave in to trolls calling on her to hang herself.
"You win x," one troubling tweet read in 2012 alongside a photo of a hand clutching pills.
"Hope this ends the misery," another tweet read shortly before her hospitalization.
Dawson was able to bounce back from the incident and even went on to launch an anti-bullying media campaign in a bid to help others. However, in the end she was unable to overcome her own troubles.
"If you're going to express those points of view, you should do it with a face and a name so that you can be accountable," Dawson once said of online trolls. "It's the anonymity they celebrate because they think there are no consequences."
In November, Dawson parted ways with her management team amid criticsms of her outspokeness regarding mental illness. The socialite shared an email from Chic Celebrity Management on Instagram in which the company explained that her outspokeness about her battle with depression made it "extremely difficult" to sell her "brand."
"I'm really surprised, I'm shocked," Dawson said of the email. "I always thought that they were very supportive of my condition."
Celebrities and politicians expressed shock and grief after learning about Dawson's untimely death.
"Shocked and saddened to hear of Charlotte Dawson's death," New Zealand's Prime Minister John Key tweeted.
"Charley D...Just don't understand. There's not enough kind souls as it is. Rest in peace," actor Russell Crowe tweeted.
