Lady Gaga video model 'Zombie Boy' Rick Genest's fall to death from balcony accidental, not suicide, says coroner
Officials in Montreal have ruled that the 2018 death of Rick Genest, 32, was an accident and not suicide as they had previously thought.
Coroner Mélissa Gagnon of the Bureau du Coroner shared that Genest's fall from a third-story balcony at the Le Plateau-Mont-Royal on August 1 last year was not a suicide. The coroner shared, "Some close friends reported that he heard voices, particularly when he used substances".
"However, Genest did not seem to be in a state of psychosis or delirium when he went out on the balcony," the coroner continued. At the time of his death, Genest was 'highly intoxicated' and toxicology reports showed a blood-alcohol level almost three times the legal limit. He had also smoked cannabis.
"Considering that habit and his very advanced state of inebriation, it is plausible that Genest accidentally fell from the balcony," the coroner shared. As reported by TMZ, at the time of his death, his manager Karim Leduc shared that his family believed that it was a tragic accident that he fell.
They also believe that he would have left a suicide note if the death had been intentional. Genest had starred in Gaga's music video 'Born This Way', which released in 2011. In August last year, Gaga had posted, "The suicide of friend Rick Genest, Zombie Boy is beyond devastating".
"We have to work harder to change the culture, bring Mental Health to the forefront and erase the stigma that we can't talk about it. If you are suffering, call a friend or family today. We must save each other," she continued. She also shared a picture of Genest from the 'Born This Way' music video.
Genest came to be known as 'Zombie Boy' for his various tattoos, which depict the inside of his body on his skin. He has also been seen in magazines such as GQ, Vanity Fair, and Vogue Hommes.