Strauss died in hospice on Tuesday morning, according to TMZ, and was unconscious for a few days.
“The one blessing was that we were able to show her how loved she was before she passed,” her family said in a statement to the outlet. “She brought so much light to people.”
PEOPLE is out to VH1 for comment.
On Oct. 4, she announced her diagnosis in a Facebook post.
“I was gonna write some long thing but some of you guys deserve to know, On October 2nd I was diagnosed with stage IV breast cancer. It has aggressively spread throughout my body and is incurable,” she wrote. “With treatment it may prolong my life longer than the ‘few months’ doctors said I could make it. I don’t want to die. I need another one of those miracles that I got back in 2013.”
At the end of November, Strauss announced that she had entered hospice care. “First night in hospice. So many things I never knew about life. Or death,” she wrote on Facebook. “So many things.”
Following her diagnosis, Strauss’ friends set up a GoFundMe page on her behalf to help alleviate some of the medical costs.
“At the end of September, Jael became very sick and was diagnosed with aggressive Stage IV Rapidly Progressive Metastatic Inflammatory Breast Cancer. It has metastasized and spread beyond the breast tissue. She has just begun chemo, but we do not know how things will play out. What we do know is that Jael is putting all of her energy and drive into fighting this insidious disease and can use as much support and love as possible,” the page reads.
Strauss also updated her Instagram bio to reflect her medical situation, asking her followers to send positive wishes. “Currently fighting stage 4 inflammatory breast cancer,” it reads. “Plz send miracles.💋”
The Detroit native recently celebrated being five years sober.
“Today I have 5 years sober. Good God!” she wrote in August. “I know a few things to be true: Miracles are real, Recovery is possible for everyone no matter how far gone you think you are, We are never too broken to be put back together.”
Prior to getting well, a then-28-year-old Strauss appeared on The Dr. Phil Show, where her battle with “substance abuse and addiction” led to a hometown intervention. Weeks after the episode aired, Strauss began her journey to sobriety.
Strauss competed on the eighth season of America’s Next Top Model in 2007 and finished sixth in the competition.
