An actor with a skull on his face. "Zombie Boy" Rick Genest died: the cause of death of a world-famous model was named. last years of life

The most famous tattooed model Rick Genest, better known under the pseudonym Zombie Boy (“Boy Zombie”) committed suicide at the age of 32 years. The body was found in his apartment in the Plateau-Mont-Royal area in Montreal, Canada at 17:00 on Wednesday, August 1 - police representatives told Radio Canada about the incident.

The fact of his death was confirmed by representatives of the modeling agency in which he worked - they wrote about this on their Facebook account. The statement said: “The whole family is shocked by this tragedy. The Zombie Boy, Rico, was loved by all who had the pleasure of getting to know him and knowing him. An icon of the art scene and the fashion world, this innovator, contrary to popular culture, could charm any heart."

Genest first came to public attention when he covered his entire body in tattoos from head to toe - he still holds the Guinness record for the most tattoos on his body. In total, he had 176 tattoos, of which 139 were in the form of human bones. The number of these images earned him another world record.

"Zombie Boy" was born and raised in the disadvantaged area of ​​La Salle in Montreal, in the Canadian province of Quebec. He spent part of his life on the street: at the age of 16 he got his first tattoo, and at 17 he had already run away from home. His love of dark subjects was the result of a diagnosis he was given at the age of 15 with an inoperable brain tumor.

Perhaps because the doctors couldn't cure him, he decided to paint a new skull on top of his own.

By the end of the transformation young man from Canada to a "living zombie", 90% of his body was covered with tattoos. According to the Guinness Book of Records, most of his tattoos were done by Canadian artist Frank Lewis. After Genest became famous on the Internet, designers in Paris and Berlin noticed his unusual appearance, from that moment his modeling career began.

In an interview with numerous portals, he explained that the integrity of the composition was the merit of his tattoo artist, and he wanted to depict on himself different types of death.

Like all celebrities, literally "made themselves", Rick Genest was a hostage to his image. He spoke about this on the air of Radio Canada in 2016, radio host Penelope McQuaid shared his words. British artist Mark Quinn has even planned to create a 3.5m bronze sculpture for the London Science Museum next year. In March 2018, Quinn spoke about his decision: “I find him [Genesta — Gazeta.Ru] amazing.

He is an artist. He himself is a work of art."

Zombie Boy rose to prominence in 2011 with Lady Gaga's iconic music video for the single Born This Way. At one of the shows, Gaga's stylist saw him, and after a couple of months, her representatives happily invited Genest to shoot. The YouTube video has already been viewed by more than 231 million people.

In addition to fashion shows and filming in videos, in 2012 Zombie Boy became the face of a major cosmetics company. In the commercial, his entire body and face were covered with foundation, thus showing the dense coverage and durability of the product. At the very beginning of the advertisement, Genest, almost unrecognizable without his tattoos, sat on a chair, and the inscription appeared on the screen: “How do you rate the book?”. After that, he personally wiped the foundation off his face. The video has collected more than five million views on the Internet alone.

The tattoo has firmly entered the life of modern society and can be seen on almost every fifth person. But you will recognize these comrades from afar. There is literally no living place on them, because almost the entire surface of their skin is clogged with tattoos and other modifications.

Maria José Cristerna

This woman has an extremely unusual appearance, the acquisition history of which is no less interesting than Maria herself.

Such was the lover of tattoos in 1998.

Today she is the mother of four children and a happy wife. Maria lives in Mexico, she is a lawyer by training, and for a long period of time she was an assistant judge. Now she has her own tattoo parlor and incredible popularity.

She loves to sing, act in various television shows, and also tattoo clients with her own hands. In the photo below, Maria is pictured with her husband, David Pena, waiting outside a school in Guadalajara for their children.

Becomes a woman - a vampire Maria became even in her first marriage. Her husband often humiliated her and beat her, even provoked a premature birth in the unfortunate woman. Changing the body has become a kind of psychological defense.

Tom Leppard

For almost 28 years, the Englishman Tom served in the British army, but at some point, when the time came for the end of the service, he realized that the society of civilians was not close to him, and he simply could not live in their environment.

Deciding to escape civilization, he made himself $10,000 worth of tattoos and moved from the blessings of civilization to the Isle of Skye. Tattoos covered almost his entire body, the "living place" remained only on the inner surface of the ears and between the toes.

At one time, Tom was recognized by the Guinness Book of Records as the most tattooed person in the world, but soon his record was broken. The man turned into a leopard, he even inserted fangs the same as those of this animal. From clothes he always had only a loincloth.

Tommy Wills

This great-grandfather is the most tattooed in the UK. For more than half a century, this man regularly covers his body with a wide variety of patterns.

As a result, almost by the age of 70, not a single millimeter of free skin remained on Tommy's body, he was completely "tattooed".

He made the last tattoo after his wife died. These were the words: "Tommy, I will always love you." In fact, a woman who has lived her whole life with such a strange man is worthy of love.

Etienne Dumont

This man by profession is none other than a newspaper art critic who lives and works in Geneva, Switzerland. For what exact reasons this young successful man decided to turn into a monster is not known.

It is likely that he was not so successful before he covered his body with drawings, acquired horns thanks to silicone implants and inserted huge circles into his ears, nose and lower lip, or maybe it's all about outrageous banal.

The always-stylish glasses complete the look so that writers line up for reviews from fashion critics.

Gregory Paul McLaren

Gregory got his first tattoo in London at the age of 17 after meeting a prostitute. This tattoo, according to the man himself, who has performed in the circus since childhood, gave him incredible self-confidence.

Since then, he has traveled the world and tattooed himself. He underwent this procedure on 4 continents, in 17 countries and in 45 cities. Moreover, 136 masters worked with his body. In total, he sat under the needle for almost 48 days for 1150 hours.

The man gained great popularity under the pseudonym Lucky Diamond Rich (Lucky Diamond Rich), and he also became famous for breaking Tom Leppard's record for the volume of the tattooed body.

Rick Genest (Zombie Boy)

This 28-year-old guy is a famous Canadian model. However, in wide circles, few people knew him until he decorated his body with tattoos in the form of a skeleton, and turned his head into a drawing of a skull. The young man made his first tattoo at the age of 16 after he received a serious injury, as a result of which he right hand began to show off a thick scar. He stuffed the drawing in order to hide the scar.

The full body painting procedure cost Rick $4,000 Canadian dollars, but he earned much more from his new image. In 2010, Rick, having made his tattoos, posted their photo on his Facebook page. In a short period of time, more than 1.5 million users subscribed to his page. It was then that the director of Lady Gaga drew attention to him.

Subsequently, he starred in the singer's video "Born this way", in which Lady Gaga's face is painted to match Rick's tattoos, and also took part in a very interesting advertisement for Dermablend foundation. Today he travels all over the world, he is a regular guest or participant in fashion shows, and sometimes even works as a DJ in nightclubs. It remains only to act in films.

Michelle "Bombshell" McGee

Michelle is a very popular person, and, apparently, has become a collective image of all the vices that exist in the world.

Most of the girl's body is covered with drawings of extremely dubious content, however, in this way she earns her living, like the hero of the previous paragraph. But if Rick is definitely a bright hero, then Michelle is a manifestation dark side life.

She: - deprived the popular actress Sandra Bullock of an equally famous husband; - a white racist; - greets people "in Hitler's way", because she is a convinced neo-Nazi; - a well-known pornographic actress;

She is also the star of women's fisticuffs.

Julia Gnas

Some time ago, a girl was diagnosed with a disease called porphyria. One of the manifestations of this disease is increased sensitivity to the sun (photodermatitis). There is treatment, but in most cases it is accompanied by a side effect in the form of loss of vision.

The woman in in large numbers blisters and burns began to appear, which naturally left scars behind. Julia made the decision to cover her body with tattoos to hide the terrible scars, and now 95 percent of the young woman's skin is covered with drawings.

Montreal model Rick Genest, known as Zombie Boy due to his many tattoos, was only a week short of his 33rd birthday. He committed suicide in his apartment. His death was reported to the press by Lady Gaga, who previously filmed him in her video, thereby glorifying him.

x HTML code

Zombie Boy Suicide.“If you feel bad, call a friend or relative today. We have to save each other," Lady Gaga shocked by Zombie Boy's suicide.

In a dying mystical post, a Canadian tattoo model wrote a Well poem about Damballah. We are talking about a mystical entity from the voodoo religion, revered as the creator of all life.

Damballa burst over the stars that hung above us, the soul choked stone of stone, as the fire lay between two judgments of the most severe less terrible direct, each breath cuts the ice, as the flesh is weighed before death by the old narrow gate, where the bold and brazen final ritual, - says the poem.

Some fans of Genest felt that in this way the 32-year-old fashion model was trying to say goodbye to the world. Others have opined that Zombie Boy has been flirting with death for a long time and "lost that battle".

At the age of 15, Rick underwent major surgery to remove a brain tumor. Biographers say that after that his attitude to life changed and he began to "joke and play with death." At the age of 16, he filled his first tattoo, then another and another. In total, Rick Genest had 139 bone tattoos and 176 insect tattoos. It was included in the Guinness Book of Records.

According to media reports, Zombie Boy spent more than $1 million on tattoos.

Once Rick was asked if he would like to leave his body to the museum after death, to which he replied that he had not thought about it, but most likely his body would still be destroyed by worms in the coffin.

It is clear that a person who tattooed a human skull and circulatory system on himself could not help but attract attention. When the number of subscribers to his account reached 1.5 million people, he was invited to shoot in a glossy magazine. One day a young man approached him and offered to be photographed for the international magazine Dress to Kill. After that, he was noticed by Italian designer Nicolas Formichette, creative director of MUGLER and fashion director of Lady Gaga.

Zombie Fight promoted several suits from MUGLER's new fall/winter men's collection. He also starred in Lady Gaga's music video for "Born This Way", which earned her the Best Female Artist nomination at the 2011 MTV Video Music Awards.

He made a cameo appearance in 47 Ronin with Keanu Reeves.

According to Radio Canada, Zombie Boy had psychological problems. Lady Gaga also mentioned this when she reacted to the death message on her Twitter.

She wrote that his suicide was devastating and that prejudice should be done away with and mental health to the fore.

"If you are suffering, call a friend or family. We must save each other," she wrote, apparently referring to the fact that Rick Genest hid problems from loved ones.

Died actor and part-time model Rick Genest, known under the pseudonym Zombie Boy. The owner of a shocking, flamboyant appearance was recently found dead in his apartment in Canada. It is already known that he committed suicide allegedly on August 1, 2018. The fact and cause of his death has already been officially confirmed by Dulcedo, the agency where Zombie Boy worked as a model.

Why Zombie Boy committed suicide: what happened to him, reasons

Zombie Boy jumped from the 4th floor of the house where he lived, paramedics arrived at the scene when Rick was no longer breathing.

Genest's relatives are sure: he did not plan suicide. They believe that Rick may have fallen off the balcony when he went out for a smoke and leaned dangerously down, leaning his back against the railing. Apparently, he liked to do this.

Also, relatives believe that if Rick committed suicide, he would have left a suicide note. But they do not deny the fact that recently Rick suffered from a severe mental disorder.

Speaking of his suicide note, a day after his death, a mysterious poem appeared on Zombie Boy's Instagram account, most likely written by himself.

Rick most likely put the post on the auto-timer before committing suicide. He wrote a poem Well about Damballah. We are talking about a mystical entity from the voodoo religion, revered as the creator of all life.

"Oh Damballah.

We howl at the stars hanging from above
Our souls sink into a stone well
Like a fire laid between two destinies,
From the most boring stories.
Every breath cuts the ice
as if the flesh is suspended
Before the old narrow gates of death
Where is the bold and brazen last ritual
Fulfills our desire for madness.
Deep underground
We kissed our prayers
So harsh and cold
On metal shells.
Freed by moonlight."

Lady Gaga mourns friend and urges not to fight depression alone

Recall that at the age of 15, Genest had an operation to remove a brain tumor. The following year, he got his first tattoo. Later, Montreal artist Frank Lewis covered 90% of Genest's body with tattoos. In this regard, Zombie Boy twice got into the Guinness Book of Records as the person with the most tattoos of insects and bones.

Lady Gaga calls the death of her friend Rick Genest a great tragedy, because there are a lot of people with similar diseases all over the world, and it is necessary to look at this problem from a different angle. You can’t close in on yourself and try to solve everything on your own, as in the very tragic example of Rick Genest. He was a famous person and had many fans, but this did not help Zombie Fight save his life. Therefore, in any life problems, you need to trust your loved ones and turn to them for help, especially if you can no longer cope on your own. In memory for Lady Gaga, Zombie fight will forever remain good friend and man.

Zombie Boy Rick Genest: biography, creativity

Zombie Boy was born and raised in Canada, on August 7 he would have turned 33 years old if a tragic event had not happened. The famous actor and model under the pseudonym Zombie Boy lived with his parent until graduation, immediately after that he began to lead an independent life. He always dreamed of getting a tattoo, but his parents were categorically against it, so in order not to go against their opinion, Rick Genest could only afford it while living separately. The desire of the guy to get a tattoo in adolescence turned into a hobby, and he inflicted more and more of them on himself.

At the age of 15, Rick Genest had a big problem, he was diagnosed with a brain tumor, after which a very difficult operation awaited him. At some point, the guy thought that he would not be able to survive at all and endure this ordeal. After the treatment was successful and the disease receded, he firmly decided to get his first tattoo. She was dedicated to the victory over her illness, which took a lot of strength, but developed faith in a bright future and further healthy life. Each time, Rick Genest came up with a new pattern that would decorate his body. An assistant in this was the artist Frank Lewis, who created for the guy interesting ideas carrying a certain meaning. Although it may seem that these are just tattoos, but for Rick Genest, each of them means something and was invented based on certain considerations.

After a while, the guy's body was filled with tattoos, after he put it in social media their unusual photographs, they immediately interested a lot of people. In an interview, Zombie Boy admitted that on the street he took pictures with people for money and thus earned his living. Many passers-by asked to take a photo as a keepsake, as they were very attracted to the unusual body completely covered with tattoos. Soon he became interested famous designer and offered to be a model for his collection. This was the beginning of the creative path of a guy known under the pseudonym Zombie fight.

Genest started his career living on the street and doing small freak shows all over Canada. Later, several well-known bloggers wrote about him, and he began to receive offers of cooperation from the media. During his career he has worked with Vogue, GQ, Vanity Fair.

Widespread fame came to Genest in 2011, when he starred in the video "Born This Way" by Lady Gaga, who was then at the peak of popularity. After that, Genest played several roles in feature films (the most famous - "47 Ronin" with Keanu Reeves), and also took up writing music. However, he continued to work as a model.

Before his death, Rick Genest worked with former Rob Zombie guitarist Mike Riggs on his new album, notes Et Canada. According to Genest's latest Instagram posts, he was also involved with Home Depot's Orange Door charity project, which helped young homeless people.

One of the most famous freaks and perhaps the most famous tattooed guy in the fashion world, Rick Genes, better known as Zombie Boy, has been found dead after falling from a height at his home in Canada. His death is still surrounded by speculation, the official reason has not yet been announced, but Lady Gaga, with whom Zombie Boy collaborated 7 years ago, was one of the first to react to his death in her official publics.

32-year-old Rick Genest was famous throughout the world as Zombie Boy because of his tattoos, which completely covered his body from head to toe. You can see it in ads cosmetics Dermablend, in Lady Gaga's "Born This Way" video, in the movie "47 Ronin" with Keanu Reeves and on the catwalk at fashion shows of numerous brands.

Rick Genest's name has been listed twice in the Guinness Book of Records. Once as the person with the most bone tattoos on their body - there were as many as 139 at the time of the record, and the second time - as the person with the most insect tattoos - 176.

Rick's family believes that his death was a tragic accident - he could not stay on the balcony when he smoked. Moreover, no suicide note from the police could be found. Police say the most likely cause of his death is suicide. One way or another, on August 1, 2018, a 32-year-old guy fell from the 4th floor and did not manage to survive after this fall.

“The suicide of my friend Rick Genest, Zombie Boy, just devastated me,” Lady Gaga tweeted. “We need to work harder to ensure that any problems with the mental state of people are no longer stigma. If you feel bad, call your family or friends. We have to save each other."

Lady Gaga's posts are explained by the fact that Rick Genest suffered from mental disorders. Although no one specifies what exactly bothered Zombie Boy, for the people with whom he spent a lot of time, this fact was not new.

Eight years ago, Zombie Boy was opened to the general public by Nicola Formichetti, Lady Gaga's stylist and creative director of the French fashion house MUGLER. Rick, who began getting his tattoos at the age of 16, by that time already stood out from the people around him. The reason for this was a strong experience - at the age of 15 he was diagnosed with a tumor in the brain, and he had to spend six months waiting for a brain operation, which could have the most catastrophic consequences for a teenager.

His goal was to make tattoos that mimic the inside of a person - so that on Rick's skull you could see a brain tattoo, his face imitated a bare skull, and almost all the bones were traced over his body.

Despite its defiant appearance, and perhaps because of him, Zombie Boy was invited several times to fashion shows as models in Paris and New York. In addition, he has appeared in many famous magazines, including GQ, Vanity Fair and Vogue Hommes.