Renauld White, Guiding Light Star, Dead At 80

Actor and model Renauld White passed away on June 26, 2024, at 80 years old. Fashion designer Jeffrey Banks was close with White and confirmed the news to Women's Wear Daily (WWD). White reportedly died in hospice care, but the cause has not yet been shared at the time of writing. As an actor, White was briefly a cast member on the soap opera "Guiding Light," playing the part of William Reynolds. He also did some theater work and appeared in the movies "Gun Hill" and "Central Park." As a model, White helped to shape the fashion industry and make way for more diversity. He was the second-ever Black model on a GQ cover, for an issue published in November 1979. In fact, White's first-ever Instagram post was that cover.

The sad truth of the modeling world is that there is a stark lack of diversity, but White was able to make positive changes. In a 2011 interview cited by WWD, he described meeting with agents at the legendary agency Wilhelmina about creating more diversity across the board. "I wanted to bring about change," White said. "I really confronted the establishment about why there were not more Black male images. At first, I thought I was going to get thrown in jail and beaten up because of my approach. But then they realized that they were wrong and that they were behind society and behind the times, and that they had to listen to me." They signed him as a model assuming White wouldn't succeed, though the opposite ended up being true.

Renauld White modeled for big names including Calvin Klein and Ralph Lauren, to name just two. After retiring from the industry, he returned to modeling for Dolce & Gabbana in 2023 (via Instagram). Jeffrey Banks shared some kind words about White following his passing, describing the actor as "a groundbreaker" and telling WWD, "There were very few Black models at the time. He really broke barriers. When they had a party for him in Newark for his 50-year anniversary in the fashion industry, he was very proud of the progress and how he opened the doors for other people." Banks also shared the sad news of White's death on Instagram, describing him as "a great ambassador for my brand." 

He also discussed how they were more like brothers than friends, noting, "I shall miss our talks and times together, but will always remember the barriers you broke in the fashion industry and the love you shared as a trusted friend." Elsewhere, what you never knew about music legend Aretha Franklin is that she and White were friends, which Banks also confirmed with WWD. After Franklin herself died in 2018, White reminisced about their friendship on Instagram. He described being her pal and plus-one to various events, gushing, "Her royal standing in the worlds of music and human rights was a gateway to an intimate friendship that blended music with fashion for the public viewing."