The heartbroken mother of French streamer Jean Pormanove has come forward with a few words after his mysterious death shook the online community this week.
Born Raphael Graven, the 46-year-old was found dead in his bed at home on Monday, August 18, having passed away while the camera was still rolling.
The stream on the platform Kick had been ongoing for 10 days straight, during which time Pormanove was responding to a cascade of viewers' messages.
People checking it out quickly became worried when the star appeared to stop moving and discontinued his interactions with them.
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Speaking to media company RTL, his grieving mother has since described him as a man with a 'big heart'.
"He had brothers in Metz, but he found brothers in Nice, he was a family, he was invited everywhere," the mom, who hasn't been named, said.
Pormanove's sister, who believes that he died due to 'exhaustion', also shared a few words on her late brother.
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"I was very, very proud of what my brother became," she noted. "I didn't watch everything, but I think he shouldn't have died like that, that he died of exhaustion. What he went through is unacceptable."
Pormanove cultivated a fervent online following due to his extreme content that reportedly saw him slapped, force-fed, strangled, and shot with a paintball gun for entertainment purposes.
Internet surfers claimed that the fateful livestream - which featured two other streamers named Owen Cenazandotti (Naruto) and Safine Hamadi (Safine) - was widely shared in the wake of his death
Naruto and Safine were previously questioned by police over allegations that they were mistreating vulnerable individuals to generate income during online events.
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Pormanove was interviewed in January as a possible victim, yet he denied suffering any violence at the hands of the duo, informing officers that these events were 'staged and aimed at creating a buzz and earning money'.
Police questioned witnesses and seized pieces of evidence, including videos, according to prosecutor Damien Martinelli.
"Several interviews with people present at the time of his death have been conducted without yielding leads as to its causes," he said, while announcing that the autopsy would be carried out today (August 21).
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"The death of Jean Pormanove and the violence he suffered are an absolute horror," commented Clara Chappaz, the French junior minister for digital matters.
It's been reported that just a few days before his passing, the beloved streamer sent a final message to his mother, explaining how he felt like he was 'being held hostage' and confessed to being 'fed up' with the humiliating streams that he'd made his name from.
In a statement, a spokesperson for Kick told LADbible Group that it was 'deeply saddened' by the news and promised to rigorously review the circumstances pertaining to his death.
"We are urgently reviewing the circumstances and collaborating with relevant stakeholders. Kick's community guidelines are designed to protect creators, and we are committed to enforcing them across our platform," they stated.
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Sarah El Hairy, France's high commissioner for children, also commented on Pormanove's passing, saying: "Platforms have an immense responsibility to regulate online content so that our children are not exposed to violent content. I urge parents to be extremely vigilant."
Canadian rap sensation Drake is apparently planning to cover the funeral costs alongside online streamer Adin Ross.
Topics: Streaming, France, Social Media
Dan Seddon