47-year-old Katoucha Niane, a former model for Yves Saint Laurent and other top designers, was found dead in the River Seine on Thursday. Katoucha, who had been missing since January, was last seen returning to her home on a houseboat after a party. Her purse was later found on the boat and it was feared that the model had fallen into the river.
An autopsy showed no signs of foul play.
The Guinea born mother-of-three was one of the first African women to attain stardom on the catwalk. She used her fame to launch a campaign against female genital mutilation, a procedure she underwent at age nine.
In a book she wrote on the subject, “Katoucha, In My Flesh,” she wrote “I will never get the incomparable pain out of my head.” The book, which was published last year, was dedicated to her three children.