In Memoriam: 10 Influencers Who Died In 2023
In Memoriam: 10 Influencers Who Died In 2023
Reflecting on ten men and women — and the stories they left behind
Published |Updated
Katherine Esters
Close up engraved illustration of hands holding smart phone Getty Images
In 2023, we lost several prominent social media influencers who showcased their various passions: everything from fitness and food to comedy and fashion. Here we reflect on ten men and women who brought light, laughter, and inspiration to their large audiences across the internet.
Heather B. Hamilton
Dubbed “the queen of mommy bloggers,” Heather B. Hamilton rose to prominence during the early ’00s with her blog, Dooce, where she shared the realities of being a wife and mother, as well as her struggles with mental health and alcoholism. A 2019 Vox article reports she had some 8.5 million monthly readers visiting her blog after appearing on The Oprah Winfrey Show in 2009, earning near $40,000 a month from banner ads.
She also published two books: It Sucked and Then I Cried: How I Had a Baby, a Breakdown, and a Much Needed Margarita, which became a New York Times Bestseller, and The Valedictorian of Being Dead.
Hamilton’s longtime partner, Pete Ashdown, confirmed the cause of death as suicide. She was 47.
“The silver lining I hope here is that through her death, people who need help have been exposed to Heather and are reading Heather’s books and may find a way out that Heather was unable to see,” Ashdown told Good Morning America.
“I think that that talent of hers to be raw and honest, but also engaging, is a rare one, and that’s what drew people to her.”
Jo Linder
Jo Linder, also known as Joesthetics, was a German bodybuilder known to share his workouts and training regimen with his combined 11.4 million followers on YouTube, Instagram, and TikTok.
Linder previously acknowledged having a series of health issues including a hernia and rippling muscle disease, which made his muscles unusually sensitive to movement or pressure. The 30 year old died in July this year after suffering from an aneurysm.
On a commemorative Instagram post, Linder’s girlfriend, Nicha, described him as “sweet, kind, [and] strong.”
“Like he always said, ‘Keep pushing and STAY STRONG,'” she wrote.
Luana Andrade
Luana Andrade was a Brazilian reality TV star, model, and influencer with over 600,000 followers on Instagram. She was best known for starring in Season 6 of the show Power Couple alongside boyfriend João Hadad. In addition to creating her own clothing line, Andrade announced earlier this year that she would serve as a stage assistant on the Brazilian show Domingo Legal.
While undergoing liposuction to remove fat from her knee, the 29 year old went into cardiac arrest two and a half hours into the procedure. Her official cause of death was later ruled as a pulmonary embolism.
“It is with immense regret and, with a lot of pain in my heart, that I say goodbye to my Luana, my princess, my beauty…” Hadad said on Instagram.
“It was two years by your side and I have no words to express how happy I was… We built a beautiful story and lived our dreams intensely. In addition to being a girlfriend, you are and will always be a partner beyond life, my love.”
Remi Lucidi
Remi Lucidi, aka Remi Enigma, was a “rooftopper” and sergeant in the French army who shared his stunts with his 49,000 Instagram followers. The 30 year old traveled across the world to destinations like Poland, Bulgaria, and Portugal, where he took photos of himself standing atop extremely tall buildings.
On July 27, Lucidi died after losing his footing and falling from the 68th floor of the Tregunter Tower in Hong Kong. His friend, fellow rootopper Yordan Boev, shared a photo of them atop a building in Bulgaria with the following caption:
“Steel towers are very much like friendships. We build them strong and tall. They may wobble occasionally, or seldom get visited by the builders, but with proper care and maintenance they’ll resist the wind, snow, and scorching sun, and might as well last for eternity.”
Annabelle Ham
Annabelle Ham was a Kennesaw State University student and lifestyle content creator. Since 2015, the 22 year old had shared everything from vlogs and outfit hauls, to moments of college life with her 80,400 followers on YouTube.
On July 18, Ham’s family posted to her Instagram account to announce she had experienced an “epileptic event” on July 15 and subsequently died. According to the family, she had been struggling with epilepsy for a “long time” and did her best to raise awareness around the disease.
“She was the life of the party, a spark plug, she loved everyone she met and everyone loved her too,” sister Alexandria told The New York Post.
Alexandria continued: “She was always so happy and looked for ways to make every day, situation, or outing better. There really aren’t adequate words for how good she was.”
Zhanna Samsonova
Zhanna Samsonova was a Russian raw vegan influencer known as Zhanna D’art to thousands of followers on TikTok, Facebook, and Instagram. The 39 year old was based in Sri Lanka and known to eat mainly uncooked Southeast Asian fruits and vegetables.
Samsonova’s diet drew concerns from friends and family, and she the Russian outlet RTVI said she was seeking treatment prior to her death. According to local reports, she allegedly died of malnourishment on July 21.
“We will always a remember you,” a friend on Instagram wrote.
Adriana Thyssen
Adriana Thyssen was a Brazilian fitness influencer best known among her 600,000 followers for losing 100lbs in a year. In addition to posting inspirational content about her journey, she ran a plus-sized sportswear line called Drika Store.
On September 17, the 49-year-old died of unknown causes in her home in Uberlândia. A post from the sportswear account later confirmed her death.
“It is with deep sadness and regret that we, the Drika Blog and Drika Store team and family announce the death of our dear Drika,” the statement reads according to Google Translate.
“In this moment of pain, we ask for everyone’s prayer and compassion.”
Britney Murphy
Britney Murphy — who went by Britney Joy on social media — was a 35-year-old Texan who earned 502,200 followers and more than 13 million views for her hilarious comedy sketches. She was best known for her “Get Ready With Me For My 9-5 When I Rather Be In Bed” series, which her followers often said was “too realistic.”
Murphy and her mother, Sheri Smith, died in a car accident in June this year. She was 35 years old.
“There will never be a time when I won’t miss my mother and my sister,” Smith’s little sister, Tiffany, told Distractify.
“They were my best friends. They were everything.”
Taylor LeJeune
Taylor LeJeune, better known as @Waffler69, was a Louisiana-based TikTok star who gained a following of 1.9 million for eating a variety of bizarre foods and beverages. Much to his fans’ delight, the 33-year-old influencer tried everything from fried grasshoppers to canned burgers, and eventually developed his own line of seasonings and merchandise.
After confirming LeJeune’s death on Jan. 11, his brother, Clayton, followed up to explain the TikToker had died of a pulmonary embolism.
In his initial video, Clayton said: “Watch his content that he does have out. Keep him alive.”
“He loved making people happy.”
Joseph Muchlinksi
Joseph Muchlinski, known as @VonViddy to his 226,200 followers on Instagram and TikTok, was a comedian and musician based in Minnesota. He had been making people burst with laughter with various comedic sketches online since 2020.
Muchlinski’s sister, Martha, later said the 32 year old’s death was a result of suicide.
“Joe fought a really, really long, terrible battle with his mental illness, and all we can hope now is that he’s at peace,” she said in a video confirming his death.
In his final post, Muchlinksi said he wants to be remembered as a “creator of videos that made people laugh,” a “creator of music,” and a “camp counselor who helped kids to make happy memories.”
“I’d rather not be remembered as an addict and an alcoholic who put his family through hell,” he said. “But unfortunately, that’s also part of me.”
“I have nothing to complain about, and I have nothing but peace and love for each and every one of you.”