Pewdiepie, KeemStar & More YouTubers Mourn Etika After His Death: It’s ‘Hard To Grasp That He’s Gone’

EtikaFRFX Archives/Clips/Youtube

Famed YouTuber Etika has been found deceased in New York City after missing for 6 days. Now, his fellow internet stars are mourning his passing with a series of heartbreaking messages.

UPDATE: (6/26/19, 11:15 AM ET) The New York City Office of Chief Medical Examiner (OCME) confirms to HollywoodLife that Desmond D. Amofah (Etika)’s cause of death was drowning in the manner of suicide. He was discovered in the East River near the South Street Seaport. 

After the tragic passing of 29-year-old Youtuber Etika, his fellow internet stars are speaking out. Numerous YouTubers are mourning his passing by penning meaningful messages throughout their social media channels with Pewdiepie, 29, being one of the first to do so. “Hard to grasp that he’s actually gone, left us way too soon. You will continue to live on in our hearts. Rest in peace @Etika,” the star wrote in a tweet.

Beauty mogul and makeup blogger James Charles, 20, also spoke out. “RIP Etika. My heart is so so heavy hearing this news. I hope that the community FINALLY realizes that creators are human beings with real, valid feelings,” he wrote. ‘Someone having followers doesn’t excuse cyberbullying. It’s so easy to be kind to one another!”

Meanwhile Keemstar, 37, actually shared his last message from Etika with his followers. “His final words to me… damn this hit me hard,” he wrote alongside the video. In it, Etika is seen smiling as he filmed the message: “Keemstar, I wish you the best, my n****.” He also revealed he will be raising money to help cover funeral costs. Fellow YouTuber Lux also weighed in. “RIP Etika. We didn’t know each other but I just wanted to say rest in peace. It gets said a lot on social media but I’m gonna say it again. Reach out to someone, anyone, to talk through things. There are always people that care about you.”

https://twitter.com/pewdiepie/status/1143573270823915520

Ross O’Donovan AKA @Rubberninja wrote: ‘In light of the news today, I wanted take a moment to tell you all that you’re worth something, even though you may not believe you are. ‘Reach out to people you trust and talk to professionals. You don’t need to suffer alone,” he wrote, before then sharing a list of numbers those struggling with depression or suicidal thoughts can call.

Even YouTube’s creators were rocked by his passing and spoke out on the tragic loss to their community. “We mourn the loss of Etika, a beloved member of our gaming creator community,” the YouTube Creators said in a statement on Twitter. “All of us at YouTube are sending condolences to his loved ones and fans,” they added. Oh, and while he may not be a YouTuber himself — viral rapper Lil Nas X was sure to send his condolences. “didn’t know Etika very well but i do know he inspired many and made a lot of people very happy. rip.” the rapper/singer wrote.

Etika, AKA Desmond Amofah, was confirmed deceased in New York City by the NYPD after missing for six days. “We regret to inform that Desmond Amofah aka Etika has been found deceased,” the NYPD tweeted on June 25. NYPD confirmed to HL that Etika’s body was pulled out of the East River in Manhattan.