Police investigating death of French streamer issue update

Police investigating the death of French streamer Raphaël Graven say they have interviewed a number of people who were present when he died and seized equipment and videos.

Raphaël Graven, also known as Jeanpormanove, was known for videos on the platform Kick in which he endured apparent violence and humiliation.

He was found dead at a residence in a village north of the southern French city of Nice on Monday.

On Tuesday, French government minister Clara Chappaz described Mr Graven’s death as an “absolute horror”, adding he had been “humiliated” for months.

She confirmed a judicial investigation was under way.

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.