Former 'Australia's Next Top Model' Contestant Dead at 27

Former Australia's Next Top Model star Lucy Markovic has died at 27, her family announced Thursday on her Instagram Stories.

"I regret to inform you that Lucy has passed,” the statement began. "She was at peace…We ask you to please give us space in these hard times. May Lucy rest in peace," it concluded alongside an angel emoji.

Markovic placed as runner-up in 2015 on Australia’s Next Top Model. After the show, she went on to an illustrious modeling career with Versace, Vogue, Giorgio Armani, and Victoria Beckham. Last month, Markovic announced in a since-deleted Instagram post that she would undergo surgery to remove an arteriovenous malformation (AVM) which was “the size of a golf ball.” She added that she was diagnosed with the condition over four years ago. AVM "is a tangle of blood vessels that creates irregular connections between arteries and veins in the brain," according to the Mayo Clinic. It affects roughly three in 10,000 people.

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As news of her death made its way across social media, Markovic’s former associates paid tribute to the late model. "We are heartbroken to share that Lucy Markovic has passed away after a brave battle with a brain AVM," her agency, Elite Model Management, wrote on social media. "Lucy was a bright shining light and had an incredible dry sense of humor. Her smile and laughter could light up a room, and draw you closer to her. She loved to dance, she really shined.”

Donatella Versace also posted a picture of Markovic walking for her brand in Los Angeles. "I am so sorry to hear the news about [Lucy Markovic]," she wrote on Instagram. "Rest in peace beautiful girl.”