Jean 'JP' Pormanove, 46, whose real name was Raphaël Graven, died during a live stream on the platform Kick on August 18. Subscribers noticed he had become unresponsive and alerted his streaming partners, Owen 'Naruto' Cenazandotti and Safine Hamad. It was later confirmed that Graven had died in his sleep on camera.
The death occurred after a 12-day live stream in which Graven, a former soldier, was allegedly subjected to humiliation and abuse. Donors to the French channel Le Lokal TV paid a total of €36,000 (£31,700). Allegations include being suffocated with a plastic bag and a nappy, sleep deprivation, and repeated blows to the head. Viewers reported seeing Graven screaming in pain as others threw themselves on top of him.
Footage reportedly showed the other influencers competing to see who could throttle Graven the longest, as well as clips of him being shot with paintballs and ingesting 'toxic products'. He was also allegedly insulted, forced to clean excrement, and had parts of his hair shaved off. In a message to his mother, Graven wrote: 'It's going too far. I feel like I'm kidnapped with their s***** concept.'
Before his death, Cenazandotti allegedly asked Graven to state on camera that any death would be due to his own health, not their actions. Graven refused. An autopsy later indicated that Graven, who had cardiac issues and was being treated for a thyroid condition, did not die from impact trauma; the likely causes were medical or toxicological.
Lawyers for the accused streamers have denied wrongdoing, with Cenazandotti's lawyer claiming the incidents were staged. Hamad's lawyer stated that while some acts may not have been simulated, they were consented to. In January, both Cenazandotti and Hamad were briefly detained over an investigation into 'deliberate violent acts' against 'vulnerable people', but were not charged.
Several viewers reported the stream to Kick, but it was not removed. France's minister delegate for digital affairs, Clara Chappaz, condemned the incident, stating that Graven had been 'humiliated' and that the case highlighted the dangers of such content.
