French streamer dies live online during extreme challenge

French constabulary are investigating nan decease of a celebrated streamer, who died during a astir 12-day unrecorded watercourse aft apparently suffering abusive and humiliating treatment.

Raphaël Graven, 46, known online arsenic Jean Pormanove aliases JP, is 1 of nan biggest streamers successful France connected nan level Kick and died connected Monday.

The 46-year-old subject seasoned had built a pursuing numbering much than a cardinal crossed different platforms streaming himself playing video games and had often appeared successful utmost challenges.

He had been collaborating since 2023 pinch respective different streamers, principally Owen Cenazandotti, known arsenic Naruto online, and Safine Hamadi, some of whom took portion successful his last livestream.

Cenazandotti announced his decease connected Monday connected Instagram.

In nan video livestream that appeared to show his death, aft he stopped moving, viewers donated money to nonstop messages alerting nan sleeping streamers to Pormanove's condition.

The Nice prosecutor's agency told CNN that an investigation has been opened into his decease and an autopsy ordered.

So far, authorities person not announced immoderate charges related to Pormanove's death.

In dozens of videos from past livestreams reviewed by CNN, Pormanove appears to beryllium nan target of jokes, bullying, beingness attacks and degrading stunts.

Videos from their associated livestreams show Pormanove's chap streamers competing to spot really agelong they could throttle him, others show him being changeable pinch paintballs aliases doused pinch water.

Thanks to donations from subscribers, nan group earned money from nan livestreams.

In Pormanove's last livestream, a antagonistic astatine nan apical of nan surface suggested nan group had earned immoderate 36,000 euros ($65,000) from nan days-long stream.

During Pormanove's last livestream, which appeared to tally to astir 300 hours, participants were woken up by nan revving of a motorbike successful their shared bedroom, aliases a leafblower.

At 1 point, Pormanove appears to beryllium woken up erstwhile a bucket of h2o is thrown complete him.

In an question and reply pinch CNN connection BFMTV, Yassin Sadouni, a lawyer for Cenazandotti, said Pormanove suffered from cardiovascular problems.

In 1 video, Pormanove talked of having to return medication. In another, Cenazandotti purports to publication retired messages Pormanove sent to his mother successful which he complains of being "held prisoner" by his co-streamers.

The crippled "is going excessively far," Cenazandotti said his connection read, during Pormanove's past livestream.

"I consciousness for illustration I'm being held captive by their shitty concept," Cenazandotti said Pormanove wrote.

It's not clear who precisely Pormanove was referring to and successful a later clip he tells Cenazandotti, "you cognize what I'm for illustration erstwhile I'm angry" successful reference to nan messages.

In different clip, his mother berates Pormanove complete nan telephone for letting nan co-streamers shave disconnected parts of his hair.

"Are you proud of your hair? Did you spot what he did to you?" she said.

"They are treating you for illustration shit."

Sadouni, Cenazandotti's lawyer, told BFMTV that Pormanove's mother participated successful staged stunts pinch nan streamers.

A communal taxable successful discussions pinch his co-streamers was Pormanove's wish to wed and person children, a dream that often drew apparently insult from nan streamers.

In a video from 2024, Pormanove was asked really he hoped to beryllium remembered erstwhile he died.

"No wife, nary kids. But what a bully guy!" Pormanove said.

"Me, what's connected my mind now, it's to time off a mark."

Sadouni said Cenazandotti – known by his streamer grip Naruto – had thing to do pinch Pormanove's decease and said that nan incidents targeting Pormanove were each staged.

"My customer is fresh to beryllium heard and to supply each useful information," he told CNN connection BFMTV connected Tuesday.

Cenazandotti has besides revenge a title pinch authorities that he is being harassed online since Pormanove's death, according to Sadouni.

CNN has reached retired to Pormanove's mother and Hamadi for comment.

Cenazandotti and Hamadi were concisely detained arsenic portion of a constabulary investigation into nan humiliation of susceptible group successful January 2025, according to CNN connection BFMTV.

According to nan Nice prosecutor, they denied committing immoderate crime and person not been charged pinch immoderate crime.

"The decease of Jean Pormanove and nan unit he endured are an absolute horror," French Secretary of State for Artificial Intelligence and Digital Affairs Clara Chappaz said successful a station connected X connected Tuesday.

"Jean Pormanove was humiliated and mistreated for months unrecorded connected nan Kick platform," she added.

Kick, nan streaming level nan streamers used, said that each those progressive successful nan broadcast had been banned "pending nan ongoing investigation," which nan tract will cooperate with, per a connection to CNN.