TikTok Stars Who Died Far Too Young

TikTok has the COVID-19 pandemic to thank for most of its rise in mainstream popularity. During that time, the app found tons of new people who were trapped inside of their homes, enabling some to share their lives for others to consume. Even celebrities got in on TikTok during the quarantine, posting all kinds of interesting tidbits.

The number of users on TikTok is in the hundreds of millions, and while most people who post on the app don't go on to gain hundreds of thousands of followers, some do. Whether they're fascinating in and of themselves, they have a particularly unique insight into the world, or they are incredibly hilarious, the TikTok app features some talented creators.

Sadly, while some go on to live lavish lives, not all TikTok stars get that opportunity. The rise of TikTok has also seen a rise in influencer deaths — not that the app causes them, but it does shine a light on creators who die far too young. Each of these TikTok stars made a name for themselves on the app, and they all tragically died long before they should have.

Bella Brave found an audience on TikTok who enjoyed seeing the young social media star's amazing personality. Despite the complications caused by severe combined immunodeficiency — a genetic disorder that affects the immune system — and a bowel illness called Hirschsprung's disease, Bella managed to always have a smile on her face as her parents, Kyla and Lyle, documented the things she was going through on a daily basis.

After a viral infection in her lungs required hospitalization in July 2024, Bella was placed into a medically induced coma. Her parents kept her fans informed of what Bella was going through at a moment they couldn't have anticipated. A bowel transplant the previous August was difficult for Bella, but she pulled through, and her folks had high hopes for a similar outcome.

Sadly, Bella died in her parent's arms on July 14, 2024. Her mother, Kyla, shared an update: "Our brave girl left her legacy here on Earth to dance on streets of gold July 14th 2024 at 4:19 p.m. ET." Bella's mother asked that her fans "keep her name on your lips, her memories alive and her bravery in your hearts." Bella was only 10 at the time of her passing.

Dazharia "Dee" Shaffer was a rising star on TikTok, participating in viral dance challenges, giving beauty tips, and more. She amassed a massive following of 1.4 million followers on TikTok and garnered plenty of attention on Instagram and YouTube. Dee had her own cosmetic brand, Dee Beauty — selling her homemade lip-glosses and more — and was making waves within the industry.

In February 2021, Dee posted a series of videos on her Instagram Story titled "Last Post," and it was, tragically, precisely that. On February 9, 2021, Dee tragically died by suicide at the age of 18. The day after her passing, Dee's father, Raheem Alla, shared the news with her fans on her TikTok, writing that he wished she had come to him with her mental health concerns. Dee's father created a GoFundMe to help raise money to pay for her funeral, and the campaign raised nearly $10,000 from 563 people.

Timothy Hall, better known as "Timbo the Redneck," spent much of his time on TikTok sharing videos of his truck, "Big Booty Judy." Timbo often posted videos of himself doing stunts with Big Booty Judy, which was his prized possession, garnering a sizable following of over 200,000 followers.

While he loved his truck and featured it often, an unidentified truck was tragically involved in Timbo the Redneck's tragic death on July 31, 2021. News of his passing was posted by his mother, Tessie, on TikTok, saying, "He won't be making anymore videos ... My son was in a bad accident yesterday and didn't make it, and I want to thank everybody for all the fans that he had."

Timbo was 19 at the time of his death, which was ruled as "accidental mechanical/positional asphyxia," per documents obtained by E! News. Timbo was reportedly performing donuts when the truck rotated, causing him to lose control. The vehicle overturned onto the driver's side, and Timbo was killed when he flew from the driver's seat as the truck fell on him.

Anthony Barajas had nearly 900,000 followers on TikTok, where he posted videos of his life. He played soccer on his high school team and was the type of person who always seemed to be smiling. Sadly, that smile was taken from the world on July 26, 2021, when Barajas and 18-year-old Rylee Goodrich went to the movies on their first date.

The couple went to see "The Forever Purge," but as they sat in the theater, Joseph Jiminez walked in and shot them both in the head in a completely unprovoked attack that had no apparent motive. Goodrich died on the scene, and Barajas held on for a few days before he was taken off of life support. Barajas died on July 31, 2021, at the age of 19.

It took a few years, but in February 2024, Jiminez received a life sentence without the possibility of parole for the indiscriminate murders he committed. After the shooting, Barajas and Goodrich's families created GoFundMe campaigns to help with expenses. Barajas' campaign raised nearly $100,000, while Goodrich's came close to $78,000.

Cooper Noriega found fame on TikTok and other social media platforms as a model, and he was forthright in providing details of his life. Noriega spoke often about his mental health and experiences with addiction, which began when he was only 9 years old. He created a Discord server for his fans so they could have a place to talk about such things.

Noriega posted a prescient video on TikTok (via Today) on June 9, 2022, where he didn't say anything but included text reading, "Who else b thinking they gon d!€ young af ... or dis j me." Hours later, Noriega was found dead in his car in a Los Angeles mall parking lot. An autopsy revealed that Noriega died of an overdose from a combination of fentanyl, lorazepam, and alprazolam (Xanax); Noriega was 19 at the time of his death. Two people connected with his death were later arrested.

Bella Bradford found an audience on TikTok via her love of fashion, and she amassed a significant following, engaging with her fans as she shared aspects of her life. In 2021, Bradford shared with her fans her diagnosis of Rhabdomyosarcoma, which is a rare cancer she had in the muscle of her jaw.

Bradford underwent treatment to beat the cancer, but in 2024, she learned the disease had progressed into an incurable state. Throughout it all, Bradford kept her fans apprised of her situation, but she also continued to shoot videos much like the ones she posted prior to her diagnosis. Bradford tragically died on October 15, 2024, at the age of 24, but she still had more to say.

Bradford shot a TikTok video to be posted after her death. In the video, she announced her own death, thanking her fans for sticking with her. She went on to say, "I hope that you can look back on all my videos and find a little bit of joy in your day ... Remember that you live every day, and you only die once, so make every day count."

Taylor Rousseau Grigg was a major fashion influencer on TikTok, amassing a fan base of over 1.5 million people. Grigg posted all kinds of videos on TikTok, ranging from fashion and beauty tips to general details of her life. One detail she mostly kept private was that her health was in decline.

Grigg posted a video in November 2023, which gave some indication of her health: "14 days in hospitals. 2 ER visits, 1 surgery. A loss. A lot of confusion." Unfortunately, she didn't provide many details or discuss much of what was happening to her. On October 4, 2024, Grigg died suddenly at the age of 25, shocking her fans as well as her husband, Cameron Grigg.

Cameron posted the news of her passing, though he kept the details light. Eventually, it was revealed that Taylor died from complications brought on by a severe asthma attack and Addison's disease. The uncommon condition results in the body's inability to produce an appropriate amount of hormones, and the combination of her asthma prematurely ended her life.

Alexis Sharkey spent her time on TikTok sharing wellness, skin care, and health care tips, building up a large following on the platform as well as other social media sites. In 2019, Sharkey married Tom Robinault, and in October 2020, she showed signs of distress. The following month, she disappeared.

The last time anyone saw Sharkey alive was on November 27, 2020. The 26-year-old was found dead in Harris County, Texas, the following day. The investigation found that her body was dumped, and her husband identified her the following day. Suspicion quickly fell on Robinault, as he didn't make funeral arrangements and acted suspiciously.

Robinault ducked authorities for weeks, and in September 2021, a warrant was issued for his arrest. Before that could happen, Robinault died by suicide, denying Sharkey's family justice. Investigators later revealed a history of domestic violence and how Robinault lied throughout their investigation.

Rachel Yaffe shared much of her life on TikTok, where she amassed a following of nearly 60,000. She posted about health and wellness, as well as her "cancer healing journey." Yaffe was diagnosed with fibrolamellar hepatocellular carcinoma, a rare form of liver cancer, when she was 20. Yaffe spent the next seven years trying to overcome the disease.

Yaffe posted a video on TikTok in September 2024, sharing more information about her health. She described how radiation treatment sapped her strength, but despite what she was going through, she remained positive and smiled throughout the video. Yaffe died from her cancer on October 11, 2024, at the age of 27.

Yaffe's passing was confirmed in an online obituary explaining that her funeral would be a private service. Yaffe's family asked that people make contributions in her name to Experience Camps in lieu of flowers. The nonprofit hosts grief camps for children who've lost someone close to them, which gives support and encouragement to "grieving children to embody a life full of hope and possibility."

Eva Evans had a following of hundreds of thousands of fans on TikTok, where she posted videos about her life and what she was going through. She was also the creator of "Club Rat," a 2023 series on Amazon Prime about an influencer attempting to get back into dating in New York City after being dumped in a viral video. The series began on TikTok and migrated to Amazon.

Evans occasionally discussed her mental health on TikTok, including a video where she revealed, "When I was 16, I was forcibly taken to a wilderness therapy program and spent almost a year in treatment centers." She overcame that experience and became a prominent influencer.

Sadly, Evans died by suicide on April 20, 2024, at the age of 29. Evans' sister, Lila, announced her passing on Instagram the following day, writing, "Yesterday my family received news that our sweet, fabulous, creative, caring, hilarious Eva, my beautiful sister, has died." Actor and friend Julia Fox called Evans "A TikTok star and a New York icon" she saw as a little sister.

Rochelle "Roe" Hager was an executive chef who shared glimpses into her life on TikTok, where she amassed a following of nearly 300,000. Many of her videos feature Roe with a huge smile on her face as she spent time with her fiancée, tried new foods, and showed off her positivity to the world.

Roe died on March 29, 2021 from a freak accident that ended her life far too soon. The 31-year-old was tragically killed while driving in her SUV in Farmington, Maine. Without warning, high winds caused a large branch from a pine tree to break off and slam into her vehicle. It was determined that Roe died instantly and likely felt nothing from the accident.

The most devastating aspect of her death was that she was on the phone with her fiancée, Brittanie Lynn Ritchie when it happened, and she heard everything. Ritchie later spoke about the accident in an interview with Central Maine: "I just heard a crash, and then there was nothing. She didn't see the tree coming. It was instant." The couple was set to marry in October 2021.

Caleb Graves wore a lot of hats during his life, including being a TikTok influencer with thousands of followers. He described himself on his website as a "writer, director, screenwriter, and producer," who enjoyed running and traveling. Graves also loved Disneyland and shared many videos on TikTok of himself enjoying the theme park.

Graves died on September 8, 2024 mere moments after completing Disneyland's Halloween half marathon. Graves crossed the finish line and collapsed after finishing the race in under two hours. Anaheim Police Sgt. Matt Sutter told People, "As soon as he crossed the finish line, he started grabbing his chest. One of the workers noticed and ran up to him and caught him before he collapsed."

Emergency services personnel on the scene tried to save Graves. They tried to revive him for over an hour before Graves was declared dead at the hospital. Prior to the marathon, Graves posted videos (via US Weekly) indicating he was concerned about the heat, noting, "I have, maybe, some susceptibility — I don't know if it's temporary or long-term — to heat." The temperature rose to 100 degrees on the day Graves died.

Jainer Moises Pinedo Vargas was known as TikTok's "Dancing Engineer" for his penchant for posting dance videos on the platform. Vargas was a forest engineer who was followed by more than 200,000 people for his dance videos. Vargas became ill while working in Condorcanqui Province, Peru on July 21, 2024. He was quickly taken to the hospital so doctors could determine what was wrong.

After arriving at the hospital, doctors assessed his condition, finding that he contracted dengue fever, a mosquito-borne illness found in many tropical regions, and in many cases, it isn't fatal, though it is a serious and occasionally life threatening disease. As they worked on his condition, he was also found to have respiratory failure and pleural effusion. A subsequent test found that Vargas had Hodgkin's lymphoma. These ailments combined to create a situation where his body couldn't survive.

Vargas died at the age of 34 on August 18, 2024. His cause of death was listed as being complications brought on by dengue fever, but it was only one of many conditions he was dealing with at the time of his passing.

Eliane Ferreira Siolin was a popular Brazilian influencer who had nearly 80,000 followers on TikTok. Siolin often posted videos of herself discussing her life. She also had an Instagram account, where she posted images of herself and her friends, showing off new clothes and her daughter.

On January 24, 2021, Siolin, who was married to Alejandro Antonio Aguilera Cantallupi, got into an argument that ended with both parties dead. It's believed that Cantallupi was angry with his wife over what he felt were racy photos she posted on social media. The couple argued often, but this time, their argument was fatal. Cantallupi shot his wife dead and then died by suicide; all tragically in front of Siolin's 6-year-old daughter.

Siolin, who was 35 at the time of her death, was shot 14 times, and her right arm was broken. Because both parties died, the motive and issue that sparked the fight cannot be confirmed. According to police spokesman Analu Ferraz (via the New York Post), "Close friends said they fought a lot, even in public."

Kyle Marissa Roth was known for her celebrity gossip videos, which were enjoyed by her nearly 300,000 followers on TikTok. Roth was well known for sharing as much celebrity drama as possible, and she had a catchphrase: "You want more? I'll give you more." She tragically died on April 16, 2024, at the age of 36. Roth's cause of death was cardiac arrhythmia from myocardial fibrosis. This essentially meant that scarring in her heart resulted in an irregular heartbeat. Kyle's sister, Lindsay Roth, told the world that Roth had died, though she didn't immediately reveal a cause of death.

Roth had previously overcome colon cancer, and she occasionally spoke about this on social media. In an Instagram post, she showed pictures of her many scars from three abdominal surgeries and one reconstructive shoulder surgery. Roth went through a lot during her life, and she survived many hardships, car accidents, concussions, and a torn meniscus, but ultimately, she died far too young.