Raphaël “Jeanpormanove” Graven reportedly died in his sleep earlier this week following broadcasts on Kick where he was routinely assaulted by others in controversial “humiliation” livestreams. According to the BBC, a judicial investigation in France is underway, with French government minister for digital technologies Clara Chappaz calling what Graven experienced “absolute horror.”
The death of the 46-year-old, whose streaming career began with TikTok videos about GTA 5 and FIFA and who had amassed over a million followers across all his channels, appears to have been captured live during his latest, and last, marathon Kick broadcast. Graven’s more recent content, which he created as part of the collective Le LokalTV, included being seemingly brutalized by two fellow streamers who go by the aliases “Naruto” and “Safine,” with some clips appearing to show violent, prolonged strangulations. An investigation last year by Mediapart alleged that Graven had been subject to “months of online abuse.”
It’s unclear what exactly the relationship was between all of the men, though reporting by Mediapart suggests the “humiliation” streams were lucrative and helped propel the popularity of Graven and the group’s channel on Kick. Naruto and Safine were reportedly taken into custody earlier this year but were later released amid an ongoing investigation. Kick also temporarily suspended the channel but it later resumed streaming again. Clips of the alleged abuse can be found circulating online.
Mediapart now reports that viewers of the stream earlier this week on Discord became worried about Graven’s condition after he appeared to being laying motionless in his sleep for an extended period of time. According to the AFP, an autopsy to determine the cause of death has been ordered.
Kick is a competitor to Twitch and YouTube known for its loose guidelines and minimal moderation. Streamers there can promote gambling and other topics that are prohibited on other streaming platforms. A representative for Kick told the BBC it was “urgently reviewing” the circumstances around Graven’s apparent death on camera. “We are deeply saddened by the loss of Jeanpormanove and extend our condolences to his family, friends and community,” they said.
