The mother of a French online star who was allegedly subjected to ‘ten days of torture’ before dying in front of viewers on a live stream has spoken out – as her son’s death sparks outrage across the world.
Raphael Graven, better known online as Jean Pormanove, was a prominent figure in France’s streaming world with over a million followers across social media.
He was subjected to gruesome online challenges involving humiliation, violence, and dangerous stunts before his death.
Previous streams reportedly saw Graven slapped, strangled, force-fed, doused in unpleasant liquids and targeted with a paintball gun.
The popular Kick creator, 46, was found dead overnight on Monday, in bed at his home in Contes, near Nice.
Kick is a streaming platform similar to Twitch where people broadcast live video to an audience who can comment and donate money in real time.
Graven is said to have suffered from a serious heart condition and had been broadcasting for more than 298 hours before his death, The Telegraph reports.
Speaking to RTL, the streamer’s mother described him as a boy ‘with a big heart’ and said he gained a second family living in Nice.
‘He had brothers in Metz, but he found brothers in Nice, he was a family, he was invited everywhere,’ she told the media company.
And his sister now believes he died due to exhaustion as she says his death is ‘intolerable’.
‘I was very, very proud of what my brother became,’ she said. ‘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.’
Graven is believed to have passed away in his sleep during a live broadcast, following what friends have described as relentless ‘humiliation streams’.
Canadian rapper Drake is reportedly planning to cover his funeral costs along with internet personality and online streamer Adin Ross, who boasts 6.7million followers on Instagram.
Prosecutors in Nice confirmed they had opened an investigation into Graven’s death and are conducting a post-mortem examination on Thursday.
Internet users said the livestream, which was widely shared afterwards, showed Graven lying motionless under a bed cover.
A fundraising counter shown on the video suggested the group had collected more than £31,000.
One of two men in the room with him, Owen Cenazandotti and Safine Hamadi, known by pseudonyms Naruto and Safine, threw a plastic water bottle in his direction.
Naruto and Safine had already been questioned by police in a separate inquiry in January over claims they were mistreating vulnerable people in online events to generate payments from viewers.
Graven was interviewed as a potential victim at the time but denied having suffered any violence, prosecutor Damien Martinelli said.
Instead, Graven and another potential victim told police the events ‘were staged and aimed at creating a buzz and earning money’, he said.
Graven said he made ‘sums of 6,000 euros’ generated by his company thanks to contracts with streaming platforms.
‘Both said they were never injured, were free to come and go, and to make their own decisions,’ the prosecutor said. They also declined a medical and psychiatric examination.
Australian platform Kick said Wednesday all co-streamers involved in the event had been banned from the platform pending the outcome of the investigation.
It said it was also running a ‘complete re-evaluation’ of its French content.
The platform is seen as having less stringent user terms than those of its rival, the better-known Twitch streaming service.
French prosecutors confirmed an investigation has been launched in the streamer’s tragic death, with an autopsy ordered
Police had been questioning witnesses and seizing evidence, including videos, prosecutor Damien Martinelli said in a statement.
‘Several interviews with people present at the time of his death have been conducted without yielding leads as to its causes,’ Martinelli said, adding that the autopsy would be carried out on Thursday.
‘The death of Jean Pormanove and the violence he suffered are an absolute horror,’ said Clara Chappaz, French junior minister for digital matters.
Officials insisted that ‘nothing suspicious’ had yet been identified, but shocking claims from local media allege Graven endured sleep deprivation, extreme violence, and ingestion of toxic substances before the tragedy.
It has been reported that a few days before his death, Graven sent a heartbreaking final message to his mother to say he felt as if he was ‘being held hostage’ and admitted he was ‘fed up’ with the controversial streams that had become his trademark.
Adin announced on X on Tuesday that he and Drake will be paying for the funeral.
He wrote on X: ‘This is horrible and disgusting. Whoever was apart of this deserves to face severe consequences.
‘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. Prayers go out to Jean’s family’.
Drake joined Adin, who is renowned for his collaborations with celebrities, on his YouTube livestream August 10.
Naruto, announced Graven’s death on Instagram, paying tribute to his ‘brother, sidekick, partner’.
He pleaded with fans not to share clips of the disturbing live stream, where Graven appeared unconscious before being found dead in bed.
France’s Minister for Digital Affairs and Artificial Intelligence, Clara Chappaz, condemned the ordeal as an ‘absolute horror’ and said platforms must do more to protect vulnerable creators.
Sarah El Haïry, the High Commissioner for Children, described the tragedy as ‘horrifying’, warning parents to remain vigilant about the violent content children can access online.
Kick, the streaming platform where Jeanpormanove built his following, said it was ‘deeply saddened’ by his death and promised to urgently review the circumstances.
‘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,’ a spokesperson told AFP.
The case has shone a harsh spotlight on the murky world of ‘humiliation streams’ in France, where creators allegedly endure extreme abuse for views and donations.
Le Monde described the dark side of human nature as ‘reminiscent of some of the most chilling episodes from the British dystopian tech series Black Mirror.’
