Photo: Sean Zanni/Patrick McMullan via Getty
Achmin Ruehlemann, the father of modelJeremy Ruehlemann, who died over the weekendat 27, has spoken out for the first time since his son’s death.
In an interview withThe Daily Mail, Achmin shared that his 27-year-old son struggled with substance use. “He did rehab and had tried to get off prescription medication,” he said, adding, “Obviously, he was not successful.”
Achmin shared that his son’s toxicology report has not yet been finalized, so at this point, he’s not “100 percent sure exactly what happened” to lead to Jeremy’s death, but he speculated that it was “accidental” and related to drug use.
“There was no desire to end his life, this was accidental,” he said. “Obviously, he had some issues with drug addiction, but he was very happy. He loved life. He was very vibrant, a wonderful soul and a very giving guy.”
Sean Zanni/Patrick McMullan via Getty Images
The NYPD provided a statement toThe Daily Mailsaying that Jeremy was found at a friend’s New York apartment on Saturday morning and was pronounced dead at the scene.
Fashion designerChristian Sirianowrote a touching tribute to his “muse” onInstagramon Monday, sharing the news of Jeremy’s death.
Alongside a carousel of photos, Siriano wrote, “I have never posted anything like this but to lose a friend who was such a beautiful soul is just really hard. This is for Jeremy, the most beautiful man that gave so much love to everyone he met no matter what. He was one of my muses and he always will be. He inspired me and I will love him forever.”
Christian Siriano/instagram
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In his final Instagram post, Jeremy — who previously modeled for Perry Ellis and Superdry and appeared inGQandPlayhaus Magazine— shared a behind-the-scenes snap of a photo shoot with Tommy Hilfiger.
“bts with Tommy,” he captioned a shirtless image with a clothing rack in the background.
In the comment section, Hilfiger’s younger brother Andy Hilfiger wrote, “So sorry 🙏🙏”
The model’s father shared withThe Daily Mailthat in years past, Jeremy was passionate about working at a camp in upstate New York that helped kids with emotional difficulties.
“He was there at 17 as a camper, then he came back each year as a counselor up until two years ago,” Achmin said.
“He loved being there helping kids. He was very well liked, very respected, and he made a difference in a lot of young lives. There were a lot of kids who came to the camp with issues about their sexual orientation.
“He helped them open up and understand their situation, whether it was sexual orientation, whatever it was. He brought a little lightheartedness to help campers see their situation is not unique,” Achmin concluded.
source: people.com
