British supermodel Georgina Cooper, best known for her work within the Nineties “Cool Britannica” wave in addition to a signature gap-toothed smile, died while visiting a Greek island along with her husband, whom she had married just months before. She was 46.
Cooper’s friends, Jade Parfitt and Erin O’Connor, confirmed her death on social media Thursday, Nov. 8. Based on the Day by day Mail, Cooper died of complications apparently stemming from long COVID.
Chatting with the outlet, her former agent Dean Goodman explained that Cooper had been on the island of Kos along with her latest husband, Nigel, and fell in poor health, spending five days in intensive care before dying “a fortnight ago.”
“Georgina had been unwell during Covid and had developed some health problems and had been out and in of hospital. But she had plans for the longer term. She had just married and was looking forward to her life. Everybody is devastated. She was a real superstar,” he said.
Cooper married her husband in June near her U.K. hometown, per the outlet’s report. The 2 honeymooned on the island of Kos.
Fellow model Parfitt shared on her Instagram account that Cooper was: “Certainly one of the funniest and naughtiest, never mind most beautiful friends, all of us wanted to hang around with George backstage. Sending a lot like to her son, family. And friends. Gone too soon.”
Meanwhile, O’Connor, one other modeling peer, mourned, “You were an incredibly kind and funny human-being, Georgina. I/all of us admired and loved you a lot for the heat, generosity and delicate mischief you delivered to the world. A few years have passed since we (our little 90’s britannia pack) frolicked together in the course of the mad carousel era referred to as ‘show season’ – but you ALWAYS stuck out to me for keeping it real and being pleased with who you were.”
Cooper first drew attention by appearing at age 15 in a Bon Jovi music video, before happening to model alongside a number of the ’90s biggest names and appearing on the covers of such publications as Vogue and The Face. She was close with fellow Brit supermodel Kate Moss, and worked for brands equivalent to Alexander McQueen, Burberry and Stella McCartney. Often called the “original gap-toothed girl,” her distinctive smile was a defining feature.
“She was a lot fun,” Carole White, a former model agency executive, said to WWD. “When she was young, she made a whole lot of money and he or she had this very edgy streak that was of the time. Everyone found the gap between her teeth quite amazing.”
Cooper quit modeling after the birth of her son, Sonny, to be able to concentrate on her family.
Cooper is survived by her husband and son.