Tragic adult film star Sophia Leone asked her fans to go outside and appreciate life in one of her final social media posts, amid reports that police are investigating her death as a murder.
The 26-year-old was found dead in her New Mexico home on March 1, and her agency 101 Modeling said the death was being investigated as a ‘home invasion homicide’.
She had more than 300,000 followers on Instagram alone, where she posted racy photos from her glamorous film shoots.
But she urged them to find joy in the world around them in a poignant and fully clothed final address on the platform.
“Go outside and appreciate life a little more today,” she wrote.
The joy of freedom: Sophia Leone in one of her last social media posts
The 26-year-old had earned an army of fans for her fierce performances in adult films
ONE Gofundme appeal appeared to reach its $12,000 goal this afternoon as devastated friends and colleagues reacted to her sudden death.
“Sophia was a beloved daughter, sister, granddaughter, niece and friend,” her stepfather Mike Romero wrote on the crowdfunding page.
‘She had a deep love for all animals, especially her three pets.
‘She enjoyed traveling and always found ways to make everyone around her smile.
Sophia will be deeply missed but her memory will live on in the hearts of all who loved her.’
Friends in her native Miami paid tribute, including Brian Berke, who founded AMA Modeling in 2004.
‘When you were 18 years old you started with me at AMA and now at 26 I have to say goodbye,’ he wrote.
‘I am speechless and heartbroken. I can’t believe what I’m seeing,’ added former colleague Gina Valentine.
Fans of the star have also remembered her on X and posted tributes.
One person wrote: ‘First we lose Akira Toriyama now we lose Sophia Leone. Life is too short, beautiful and tragic. May they rest in peace.’
Another added: ‘Is this Sophia Leone news real??? My stomach hurts.’
An adult creator who reportedly worked with the popular star wrote: ‘Sophia Leone was an amazing member of our industry and she will be missed.
‘We bumped shoulders here and there but I never really had the pleasure of having a friendship with her, I sincerely hope her family and friends are able to have a peaceful place to process her loss RIP. ‘
Her stepfather said she was found unresponsive at her home by family members and that police were investigating the circumstances surrounding her death.
The industry has suffered a wave of tragedies in recent weeks with Kagney Linn Karter’s apparent suicide last month and the discovery that Jesse Jane, real name Cindy Taylor, was found dead at 43 with her boyfriend at their home in Oklahoma days earlier.
Meanwhile, Emily Willis is in a ‘vegetative coma’ and ‘fighting for her life’, her stepfather Michael Willis has revealed.
Willis was rushed from a popular celebrity rehab center in Malibu on Feb. 5 to a medical facility in Thousand Oaks, Calif., after authorities received a call about the 25-year-old, who was found unresponsive.
“Sophia was a beloved daughter, sister, granddaughter, niece and friend,” her stepfather Mike Romero wrote in a crowdfunding appeal.
The Miami-born model had more than 300,000 followers on Instagram alone
A Gofundme appeal appeared to have reached its $12,000 goal this afternoon as devastated friends and colleagues reacted to her sudden death
She had been staying at the facility to receive treatment for addiction, although it is unclear exactly what and for how long.
Michael Willis denied claims she had ‘overdose’ and said: ‘Emily received the treatment and help she needed at the time of the incident to overcome her struggles.
‘Emily remains in a vegetative coma and is fighting for her life.’
Dailymail.com has reached out to Albuquerque Police for comment.