Internet figure Adin Ross has announced that he and Drake intend to pay for the funeral of streamer Jean Pormanove, who passed away at the age of 46.
Pormanove, known off-screen as Raphaël Graven, was confirmed to have died on August 18. The sad news was shared by one of his co-creators, Naruto, whose legal name is Owen Cenazandotti, via Instagram.
In the Instagram post, Cenazandotti expressed (translated): “I’ve always dreaded the day I’d have to write these words. Sadly, last night, JP (Raphaël Graven) left us. (…) I ask you all to respect his memory and not share the video of his last breath in his sleep.”
The request from Cenazandotti not to ‘share the video’ of Pormanove’s final moments was because he was in the middle of a live broadcast at the time of his passing. Authorities confirmed he was discovered in a room rented for streaming near Nice, France.
During the live stream, Pormanove was subjected to troubling actions, including having a water bottle hurled at him. According to The Times of India, he endured ‘ten days and nights of torture’.
Clara Chappaz, France’s digital technology minister, suggested he had been ‘humiliated and abused for months’.
A judicial investigation is currently in progress to uncover more details about Pormanove’s passing. Meanwhile, fellow streamer Ross has voiced his condemnation of online abuse.
In a message posted on X, previously known as Twitter, Ross stated: “This is horrible and disgusting. Whoever was apart of this deserves to face severe consequences.”
Ross further revealed that he had discussed Pormanove’s demise with rapper Drake and mentioned that they would jointly cover the funeral expenses.
“I just spoke with drake. Drake and I will be covering the funeral costs, this won’t bring his life back, it’s the least we can do,” Ross wrote, adding: “Prayers go out to Jean’s family.”
As more information about Pormanove’s death comes to light, there are reports that Pormanove had texted his mother a few days before his passing, expressing weariness with participating in the streams.
CNN reports that Cenazandotti claimed one of Pormanove’s messages indicated the situation was ‘going too far’.
“I feel like I’m being held prisoner by their sh***y concept,” Cenazandotti stated Pormanove wrote, although it’s unclear whom the streamer was referring to.
As of August 21, Drake has not made any public comments regarding Pormanove’s death.
UNILAD has reached out to Drake’s representatives for a statement.