French Gamer Jean Pormanove Dies Mid-Stream at 46 — What Happened to Him?

Gaming and streaming influencer Jean Pormanove, real name Raphaël Graven, unexpectedly passed away in mid-August 2025 at the age of 46, leaving fans around the world saddened and confused. His last social media post came on TikTok on Aug. 8, 2025, where he can be seen hanging out with friends and other influencers, looking just as he normally does in his usual content.

Jean had grown his following to over 500,000 on TikTok alone but was also very active on platforms like Twitch and Kick, with the latter now drawing more attention due to the nature of the content he appeared in. French newspaper Le Parisien confirmed Jean’s death, per People, but many are still trying to piece together what could have happened to him since his last appearance online.

Here’s what we know.

Jean Pormanove’s exact cause of death has not yet been revealed, but he reportedly died in his sleep during a live broadcast and was found deceased at a home in Contes, a village north of Nice, according to media sources, per the BBC.

Reports indicate he was subjected to significant violence and deprived of sleep, which has been documented in his content uploaded to Kick.

French Minister in Charge of Artificial Intelligence and Digital Affairs, Clara Chappaz, supported that claim in a post on X (formerly Twitter), writing, “Jean Pormanove was humiliated and mistreated for months live on the Kick platform,” and adding, “The violence he endured is an absolute horror.”

An investigation into Jean’s death has been launched, with the prosecutor reportedly opening a case and ordering an autopsy. Fellow streamer Owen Cenazandotti, who often appeared alongside Jean in his content, shared a photo of the two together on his Instagram Stories, asking fans to refrain from sharing any videos that captured Jean’s “last breath.”

Following news of Jean’s death, many people took to a Reddit thread to express their disgust over how he was treated during his streams.

Redditor @Bizhour summarized their perception, writing, “Essentially, two streamers found a vulnerable middle-aged dude and made a career out of literally torturing him, which got worse and worse until they killed him.”

They further elaborated: “By torture, I mean actual torture — beatings, sleep deprivation, oxygen deprivation, blocking access to vital medicine, public humiliation, and more, all streamed live.”

Many others are also suggesting that Jean’s death may have been brought on by the mistreatment he endured. Dexerto shared comments from French media outlets noting that, before his passing, Jean spent “10 days and nights of torture,” which included “extreme” physical violence, “deprivation of sleep,” and “ingestion of toxic products.”

Additional speculation suggests Jean was being “held hostage” by his co-streamers, while others believe he was used purely as “entertainment.”

With an investigation underway, more answers surrounding Jean’s tragic death are likely to surface.