On October 23, 2015, Hollywood make-up artist Jake Bailey was found deceased in his Los Angeles home at the age of 37.
Bailey, who had worked with the likes of Paris Hilton and Selena Gomez, was found unresponsive by a visiting friend – possibly his assistant, the details are unclear – and declared dead on arrival shortly after, according to CNN. His death has been ruled as a possible suicide by carbon monoxide; a further investigation through autopsy will be able to reveal the cause of death, as reported by Ed Winter with the Los Angeles County’s coroner’s office.
Bailey will be dearly missed – on Instagram after hearing the news of his passing, Katy Perry had this to say about the deceased:
“Jake- My sweet, sensitive soul. What a wonderful journey and friendship we had together. What beautiful art we created together. We conquered the worlds biggest stages, together. I know you felt life so intensely and it created this incredible artistic passion in you that came out in everything you touched, from the amazing images you took to the ways you painted your muses, highlighting the beauty in everyone. You had the most otherworldly eye to detail… we would laugh about how you could take a nap in that eyelid crease you created (cause it was so deep) or Jake’s 45 minute eyes… Which was such a precise lash that even Bambi couldn’t rival. You essentially created my “look” ever since we met on the music video for Hot and Cold. We always confided in each other, rallied each other at our lows and pushed each other to be our best. We never got comfortable and I know that was why we did the best work together. My favorite moments of recent times is when we would meditate together during breaks on different jobs…tune all the noise out, forget about hollywood and the chaos that surrounds it, and look for a slice of peace, 20 minutes at a time. I know sometimes it was hard to find consistent happiness here on this earth, I understand you in that way. I want you to know now finally and forevermore that I appreciate you and all the lessons we traded each other in this life. I love you. No more work, no more searching, you are finally at peace. Every time I sit in that chair we shared, just know, no one holds a brush to you, friend. Be free now. My prayers are with the Bailey family.”
This emotional response – which honestly made me cry a bit – wasn’t unusual after his death. Many of the celebrities he worked with or knew through work, including Paris Hilton, Hailee Steinfeld, and Charlie Puth, took to social media to publicly mourn the loss of one of Hollywood’s favorite artists.
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The world lost a bright life to the harshness of reality. If you or someone you know is suffering from depression and is contemplating suicide, I urge you to contact the numbers here. While Jake Bailey is a more public example, thousands of people take their own lives each year, leaving behind thousands to mourn. It may not seem as such right now, but your life is worth living.