Renuald White — a soap opera star who broke barriers for people of color in his modeling career — has died … according to one of his longtime friends.
Fashion designer Jeffrey Banks revealed the news to Women’s clothing daily — a popular fashion magazine — Friday sharing that White died last week while in hospice care in Manhattan. It did not provide a cause of death.
White rose to prominence as a model in the 1970s… becoming the second black model to appear on the cover of GQ in 1979 — two years after Urs Althaus.
He’s modeled for some of the biggest designers and publications over the years… including working with Calvin Klein, Ralph Lauren and Bill Blass, while appearing on the cover of Playboy in 1982.
White made the leap into acting in 1986 … appearing in several episodes of “Guiding Light” as William Reynolds. He’s made several other TV and film appearances over the years — most recently starring in the 2017 horror film “Central Park.”
Banks remembers Renauld in an Instagram post as “the perfect gentleman and a great ambassador for my brand. When I was introduced to my mom, she immediately said he was my ‘big brother’. I just wanted it to be that way.”
White’s funeral will be held next month in his hometown of Newark, New Jersey… his hometown. He was 80 years old.
TO TEAR APART