Renauld White Dead At Age 80

Soap opera actor and fashion model, Renauld White has passed away at the age of 80. His longtime friend, Jeffrey Banks revealed. 

It was revealed White was under hospice care in New York when he passed away on June 26th. His cause of death has not been confirmed. 

“It is with tremendous sadness that I report that my dearest friend and work colleague, RENAULD WHITE, left us yesterday. Modeling for me from the very start of my career, RENAULD was always the perfect gentleman and a great ambassador for my brand. When first introduced to my Mother she claimed instantly that he was my ‘older brother.’ I only wished that was so.”

“I shall miss our talks and times together, but will always remember the barriers you broke in the fashion industry and the love you shared as a trusted friend. Good night sweet Prince, and flights of angels sing thee to thy rest.”

White became the second Black model to appear on the cover of GQ magazine, in November 1979. 

He was also an advocate for greater representation within the fashion industry, having forged "greater diversity on designer runways.”

He modelled in shows for designers such as Calvin Klein, Ralph Lauren and Donna Karan. Not to mention he worked for fashion houses including Yves Saint Laurent, Versace, Armani and Cerutti.

White also appeared in campaigns for brands such as Macy's, Black Tie cologne, Arrow Shirts, and Vitalis. 

He portrayed the character of William Reynolds on CBS’ Guiding Light, airing from 1952 to 2009. He appeared on the show for two years in the 1980s.

Last year, while he was in retirement from acting and modelling, he briefly made a return to the spotlight, featuring in an ad campaign for Dolce & Gabbana.

In 2011, he explained how he called Wilhelmina Models to encourage more people of colour to join the industry.

“I wanted to bring about change. I really confronted the establishment about why there were not more Black male images. At first, I thought I was going to get thrown in jail and beaten up because of my approach. But then they realized that they were wrong and that they were behind society and behind the times, and that they had to listen to me.”