Rick Genest, a fashion model also known as Zombie Boy for his full-body corpse-like tattoos, took his life at the age of 32, Radio Canada reports.
The Canadian-born artist was found dead in his apartment in Montreal; police classified his death as an "apparent suicide."
The 32-year-old garnered worldwide attention after he featured in Lady Gaga's "Born This Way" video in 2011. The singer has paid an emotional tribute to Genest online, calling the loss "beyond devastating."
The sad news was followed by an outpouring of grief and tributes from shattered users.
Genest is mentioned twice in the Guinness World Record Book as the man with the greatest number of bones tattooed on his body (139) and most tattoos of insects (176). He has collaborated with magazines like GQ and Vanity Fair and modelled at high-profile fashion shows in Paris and Berlin.