Cathriona White, the Hollywood make-up artist also known for her relationship with actor Jim Carrey and who was found dead of a suspected suicide earlier this week, was likely an undocumented immigrant.
The 30-year-old Irish woman, originally from Cappawhite in Co. Tipperary, was also a practicing Scientologist, it has been revealed.
Her family in Ireland was unaware of her connections with the religious cult.
Father Tadgh Furlong, from Cappawhite, told the Daily Mail that three years ago, when Cathriona’s father died, she was unable to return home to Ireland for the funeral as she feared being denied entry back into the US.
“I think, largely because of the situation of the undocumented Irish in America, she wasn't able to come home so often,” he said.
“Even when her dad died three years ago she wasn't able to come home. That was sad for all the family.”
He also said that he had spoken with Cathriona’s family and that none of them seemed aware of her connection with Scientology or her suicidal thoughts.
It was journalist Tony Ortega, who has written at length about the Scientology community, who first broke the news about Cathriona’s practice.
“I was contacted by a couple of Scientologists who go under the radar and keep me up to date on what is going on inside,” he told the Daily Mail.
“They called me and told me Cathriona White was a Scientologist. They were absolutely shocked by her death. They told me they knew Cathriona very well.”
Cathriona’s sister Lisa and stepmother Brid have traveled to Los Angeles to take her body back to Ireland, Father Furlong said, where she will be buried next to her father, Pat.
The White family released a public statement following Cathriona’s death. It read, "The family of Cathriona White sincerely regret the untimely passing of their beloved daughter and sister. Cathriona was a shining light in our lives who was loved deeply by her entire family. We will miss her terribly and at this difficult time we ask to be left in private to mourn our loss."
Carrey also issued a statement. "I am shocked and deeply saddened by the passing of my sweet Cathriona," he said. "She was a truly kind and delicate Irish flower, too sensitive for this soil, to whom loving and being loved was all that sparkled. My heart goes out to her family and friends and to everyone who loved and cared about her. We have all been hit with a lightning bolt."
White began dating Carrey, 53, after they met on a movie set in 2012. They had an on-again, off-again relationship but rekindled their romance in May of this year, only to break up this past month.
TMZ reported that White left a suicide note outlining her breakup with Carrey, 53, on September 24, on the same day that she posted a message to Twitter to say that she was “signing off.”
On her Instagram account, one of her last messages was a quote from the Irish poet W.B. Yeats. “Faeries, come take me out of this dull world, For I would ride with you upon the wind, Run on the top of the dishevelled tide, And dance upon the mountains like a flame. W.B. Yeats.”
If you or someone you know needs help, in the U.S., call 1-800-273-8255 for the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline. In Ireland, call 1800-247-247 for Console.
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