A tragic incident unfolded on August 18 during a live broadcast on the platform Kick, where viewers witnessed the distressing situation involving one of the participants, Jean ‘JP’ Pormanove. The 46-year-old, real name Raphaël Graven, was found unresponsive as the livestream unfolded, leading to his untimely death in his sleep. This came after two weeks of alleged mistreatment by fellow streamers, Owen ‘Naruto’ Cenazandotti and Safine Hamad, who have denied any involvement in his demise.
During a 12-day live stream, Jean, a former soldier, was reportedly subjected to humiliation on camera, with donors contributing to the Le Lokal TV channel in France. The group allegedly accumulated 36,000 euros (£31,700) through these activities. Shocking reports surfaced of Jean being suffocated with a plastic bag and a nappy, deprived of sleep, and repeatedly hit on the head. Witnesses described witnessing Jean in agony, with individuals piling on top of him.
Allegedly, footage showed influencers competing to see how long they could choke Jean, along with instances of him being shot at with paintballs and ingesting harmful substances. Reports also detailed his degradation, including insults, being forced to clean up after others, and having parts of his hair shaved off. Concerns were raised when Jean’s mother appeared in the livestream scolding him for his participation, expressing dismay at his treatment.
Before his passing, Cenazandotti asked Jean to absolve them of any responsibility should anything happen to him, claiming it was due to his own health issues. Despite the pressure, Jean refused, highlighting the distressing dynamics in the live stream. On the fateful day of August 18, after attempts to revive Jean failed, the stream was cut, and it was later confirmed that he had passed away at his residence in Contes, near Nice, France.
In the aftermath, Cenazandotti mourned Jean’s death, emphasizing their close bond over the years. Legal representatives for the streamers asserted that the events were staged, denying any direct involvement in Jean’s demise. An autopsy revealed that Jean’s death was not due to physical trauma, indicating possible medical or toxicological causes.
Following Jean’s tragic end, public figures criticized the online platform Kick for allowing such content to be broadcast. France’s minister delegate for artificial intelligence and digital affairs condemned the mistreatment of Jean and emphasized the legal responsibility of online platforms in preventing the dissemination of illegal content. Authorities initiated investigations into Kick’s involvement in distributing content violating personal integrity.
Kick expressed deep sorrow over Jean’s passing and pledged to cooperate with investigations. The platform assured that it was reviewing the situation closely and engaging with relevant stakeholders. The Mirror has reached out to Kick for further comments, as the investigation unfolds.
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