Damien Martinelli, the local prosecutor, Nice who is in charge of the investigation, said in a statement that an autopsy would take place on Thursday.

The prosecutor also said that “people present at the time of the death have been questioned by police, but at this stage these interviews did not provide any guidance as to the causes of the death”.

The statement continued: “Equipment and videos have been seized as part of the investigation in order to clarify the events that occurred prior to the death and which may have contributed to it.”

Mr Graven was known for his extreme online challenges.

The 46-year-old had been subject to bouts of violence and sleep deprivation during streams, and died in his sleep during a live broadcast, local media reported.

Parallel to the investigation into Mr Graven’s death is another ongoing probe by police in Nice which started 8 months ago into an alleged “deliberate violent act” against “vulnerable people” that have ended up as videos on the internet.

That investigation, which began in December 2024, was prompted by a report by French outlet Mediapart into videos Mr Graven appeared in.

As part of this investigation, Raphael Graven and another streamer, known as Coudoux – who appeared to be both victims of the violence and humiliation – were spoken to by the police earlier this year.

They both “firmly denied being victims of violence, stating that these acts were part of a staging aimed at ‘creating a buzz’ to make money”, the prosecutor said.

“Both stated that they had never been injured, were completely free to move and make their own decisions, and refused to be examined by a doctor or a psychiatrist,” the prosecutor added.

A spokesperson for Kick – a live-streaming platform similar to Twitch, on which users can broadcast content and interact with other users in real-time – previously told the BBC the company was “urgently reviewing” circumstances around the streamer’s death.

“We are deeply saddened by the loss of Jeanpormanove and extend our condolences to his family, friends and community,” they said.

Prosecutors in southern France have initiated an investigation into the death of a 46-year-old man, identified as Raphael Graven, whose online persona was “Jean Pormanove” or “JP.” Known for creating livestream content in which he faced humiliation and mistreatment, Graven’s death on Monday took place in the village of Contes, located near Nice. The livestream, which was broadcast on an Australian platform called Kick, has since been widely shared, depicting Graven as motionless beneath a bed cover while one of his two companions hurled a plastic water bottle in his direction.

French government minister Clara Chappaz characterized the incident as an “absolute horror.” She expressed her outrage on social media, noting that Graven had been subjected to humiliation and mistreatment over several months on the Kick platform. Chappaz stated she referred the case to French media regulators, emphasizing that online platforms have a legal obligation to prevent the dissemination of illicit content. She asserted, “This type of failure can lead to the worst and has no place in France, Europe, or anywhere else.”

The Nice prosecutors’ office has commenced an investigation into the circumstances surrounding Graven’s death, ordering an autopsy to ascertain the cause. This incident is part of a broader police investigation in Nice that has been ongoing for eight months, focusing on alleged violent acts targeting vulnerable individuals, which have been documented in videos shared on the internet. This inquiry was triggered by a report from the French media outlet Mediapart that highlighted the controversial content being viewed by thousands, particularly on the Kick platform.

The Kick platform has come under scrutiny due to its less stringent user regulations compared to rival platforms, such as Twitch. When approached for comment about the investigation, Kick opted not to disclose any information, citing its policy of confidentiality.

Graven rose to prominence on social media approximately five years ago, accumulating around 500,000 followers on platforms like TikTok and Twitch. His content ranged from gaming streams to extreme challenges alongside other influencers. In recent months, there have been concerning trends related to violence during livestreams. For instance, in June, the Venezuelan prosecutor’s office launched an investigation into the livestreamed killing of a TikTok personality. Similarly, in May, the assassination of a young influencer, 23-year-old Valeria Márquez, during a livestream in Jalisco, Mexico, prompted prosecutors to classify the case as “femicide.”

The rising incidence of fatal incidents involving social media influencers has raised alarms about safety protocols on streaming platforms and the responsibilities of companies in regulating harmful content. The investigation into Graven’s death highlights this urgent issue, prompting calls for stricter regulations and accountability in the digital landscape.

Warning: This article contains discussion of child abuse, animal abuse and torture which some readers may find distressing.

The streaming world has been in mourning since the tragic death of French influencer Raphaël Graven earlier this week after he was allegedly subjected to 10 days of torture through the streaming platform Kick.

Graven, who went by the online alias Jeanpormanove, boasted more than one million followers across various platforms and died on Monday 18 August during a live stream to his followers.

The 46-year-old was found dead at a residence in Contes, a village north of Nice, after spending the previous 10 days in conditions which reportedly included extreme physical violence, sleep deprivation, and the ingestion of toxic products, according to BFMTV.

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Police visited his official residence after a number of viewers reported a sudden end to his live stream, where people had been watching the popular streamer struggle for nearly two weeks.

One of his co-creators, Naruto, announced the French streamer’s death on Instagram as he paid tribute to his ‘brother, sidekick, partner’. Naruto asked people to ‘respect’ Jeanpormanove and to not republish any clips from the stream that showed him dead or unconscious.

It is not currently clear the cause of Graven’s death (Instagram/jeanpormanove)

Graven reportedly sent a heartbreaking message to his mother shortly before his eventual death, which police have now launched an investigation into, although they are currently not treating it as suspicious.

His death has caused outcry across France, with French minister for digital affairs Clara Chappaz writing that Graven had been ‘humiliated and mistreated for months’, referring to the ‘absolute horror’ of the case.

Jeanpormanove’s livestreams had been investigated in the past

Le Monde reports the livestream that eventually ended in Graven’s death garnered €36,000 (£31,000) in donations, with some viewers allegedly pushing for more extreme content in the comments.

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Streams involving Graven and another man who went by the nickname Coudoux were investigated back in December last year.

According to BFMTV, prosecutors said both Graven and Coudoux ‘firmly denied being victims of violence, stating that [the videos] were part of a staging aimed at ‘creating a buzz’ to make money’.

They added: “Both stated that they had never been injured, were completely free to move and make their own decisions, and refused to be examined by a doctor or a psychiatrist.”

The dark side of livestreaming

Sadly, the streamer’s death looks to be part of a wider trend on Kick, which is similar to the live-streaming video service Twitch, although it allows certain gambling activities, sexually suggestive scene and content involving humiliation or violence, all of which are banned on the US-based service.

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Unfortunately, there have been a few similar cases on Kick where viewers or streamers have faced legal trouble because of their explicit content, with popular streamer N3on banned due to allegations of animal abuse during a live stream.

And there have been plenty of disturbing cases on other websites too.

Earlier this year, a woman from Delaware was arrested after it was discovered she was sharing videos of her torturing animals such as rabbits, chickens and pigeons on social media.

Perhaps the worst incident saw two Italian teenagers arrested after they used Bitcoin to access a live stream where children were sexually abused, tortured and murdered, which sums up exactly the sort of content some sick people are willing to pay for or find on the internet.

He was streaming on Kick, an alternative to Twitch with fewer rules (Jakub Porzycki/NurPhoto via Getty Images)

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A Kick spokesperson told LADbible: “We are deeply saddened by the loss of Jean Pormanove and extend our condolences to his family, friends and community.

“We are urgently reviewing the circumstances and engaging with relevant stakeholders to investigate the situation. Kick’s community guidelines are designed to protect creators, and we remain committed to upholding these standards across our platform.”

LADbible has contacted Kick and Naruto for comment.

Police are currently investigating the death of French streamer Raphaël Graven, known online as Jeanpormanove, following his tragic passing at a residence in a village north of Nice. Graven was found dead on a Monday, reportedly during a live broadcast. The investigation has included interviews with several individuals present at the scene, and authorities have also seized equipment and videos that may provide clarity on the events leading up to his death.

French government minister Clara Chappaz expressed her shock at Graven’s death, labeling it an “absolute horror.” She noted that he had faced humiliation for months and confirmed that a judicial investigation is underway. Local prosecutor Damien Martinelli, who is overseeing the case, stated that an autopsy is scheduled for Thursday.

As part of the investigation, police have engaged with individuals who were present during Graven’s final moments. Although these interviews have been conducted, Martinelli indicated that they have not yet yielded any insights into the circumstances of his death. The seizure of equipment and recorded footage aims to piece together the events that may have led to the tragic incident.

Graven, 46, was recognized for his extreme challenges on the streaming platform Kick, where he subjected himself to various forms of violence and sleep deprivation. Reports suggest that he died in his sleep during one of these live streams, raising questions about his well-being prior to his death.

Simultaneously, the Nice police are pursuing another investigation initiated eight months prior, focused on alleged “deliberate violent acts” against vulnerable individuals. This inquiry was sparked by a report from the French outlet Mediapart that highlighted videos in which Graven appeared. Earlier this year, law enforcement spoke with Graven and another streamer, known as Coudoux, both of whom denied being victims of violence. They characterized their participation in the videos as staged performances designed to generate attention and income.

Both Graven and Coudoux claimed they had never suffered injuries, stated they had the autonomy to make their own choices, and refused further medical evaluation. Meanwhile, a spokesperson for Kick, which operates similarly to Twitch, announced that the platform is conducting an urgent review of the circumstances surrounding Graven’s death. They expressed their condolences to his family, friends, and community, emphasizing the deep sadness felt following the loss of Jeanpormanove.

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