Former Arsenal footballer Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and PSG star Bradley Barcola are among high-profile figures to be dragged into a row following the death of a French streamer.
Raphael Graven, better known online as Jean Pormanove, was found dead at a residence in Contes, a village north of Nice, on Monday.
He was a prominent figure on Kick – a streaming platform similar to Twitch where people broadcast live video to an audience who can comment and donate money in real time.
It had been alleged that Graven, 46, was subjected to gruesome online challenges involving humiliation, violence, and dangerous stunts before his death. Previous streams reportedly saw Graven slapped, strangled, force-fed, doused in unpleasant liquids, and targeted with a paintball gun by influencers Owen Cenazandotti, 26 and Safine Hamadi, 23.
It was claimed in his native France that he had died after ‘ten days of torture’, sleep deprivation and ingestion of toxic products’.
Content creators who allegedly abused a French streamer on camera before he died during a live stream received more than £31,000 from viewers who encouraged his mistreatment.
Raphael Graven, better known online as Jean Pormanove, was a major figure in France ‘s streaming world with more than a million followers across social media
The popular Kick creator, 46, was found dead overnight on Monday, in bed at his home in Contes, near Nice
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Bradley Barcola were both seen in an undated video, which was used as part of a live stream which allegedly encouraged the mistreatment of Graven, prior to his death
French newspaper Liberation revealed on Thursday that footballers Aubameyang and Barcola were among those to be seen in the stream.
Marseille striker Aubameyang appeared in the 237th hour of the broadcast – two days before Graven’s death – and said ‘Okay JP and Coudoux, turn on your brains because now we have to finish the game.’
Barcola appeared seconds later, saying ‘Hey guys, big strength for the challenge. We’re all with you, we know you can do it. JP and Coudoux, set the alarm please, because things are really bad right now.’
It is unclear when videos from Aubameyang and Barcola, which were used to encourage people to donate, were filmed.
Representatives of Barcola have since told French newspaper L’Equipe that he had not been part of the live stream on the evening and expressed his condolences.
‘Bradley understands and shares the emotion caused by Raphaël Graven’s passing,’ his representatives said. ‘He was one of the first to react publicly when he learned of the tragedy. It should be noted that he was in no way present live that evening.
‘The video which is circulating and in which he appears had been recorded several weeks previously.’
Aubameyang is yet to publicly comment.
A message Aubameyang was played during the Kick stream, with Barcola featuring seconds later
Representatives of Barcola have since told French newspaper L’Equipe that he had not been part of the live stream and said the video appeared to have been recorded several weeks previously
French World Cup winner Adil Rami has also been highlighted, after he was filmed giving advice to Coudoux for fights with Graven back in March 2024.
‘Adil Rami wishes to point out that he was never a spectator or actor in the content and platform targeted today, nor did he promote it. Involving him in any way whatsoever, and even more so in such a context, would be unacceptable,’ Rami’s lawyer told L’Equipe.
‘Committed to the values of respect and kindness, Adil Rami had a special affection for Mr. Raphael Graven. Touched by his sensitivity and personality, he had the privilege of meeting him and sharing moments of joy with him around their shared passion for video games
‘His thoughts today go out to Mr. Graven and his family, to whom he sends his sincere condolences.’
Prosecutor Damien Martinelli revealed that medical examiners believed Graven’s death ‘was not traumatic in origin’ and ‘not related to the intervention of a third party’. He said forensic doctors had found no ‘internal or external traumatic injuries’ or burns – only a few bruises and healed lesions.
‘The probable causes of death appear to be medical and/or toxicological,’ he said.
He said further tests had been ordered, and Graven may have had a heart issue in addition to receiving treatment for a problem with his thyroid.
Graven was previously believed to have passed away in his sleep during a live broadcast, following what friends have described as relentless ‘humiliation streams’.
It had been alleged that Graven, 46, was subjected to gruesome online challenges involving humiliation, violence, and dangerous stunts before his death
American internet personality and online streamer Adin Ross, who boasts 6.7million followers on Instagram, announced on X on Tuesday that he and Drake will be paying for the funeral
Canadian rapper Drake has reportedly deleted his Kick account after offering to pay for Graven’s funeral.
The star is planning to cover funeral costs along with internet personality and online streamer Adin Ross, who boasts 6.7million followers on Instagram.
Internet users said the livestream, which was widely shared afterwards, showed Graven lying motionless under a bed cover.
A fundraising counter shown on the video suggested the group had collected more than £31,000.
One of two men in the room with him, Owen Cenazandotti and Safine Hamadi, known by pseudonyms Naruto and Safine, threw a plastic water bottle in his direction.
Naruto and Safine had already been questioned by police in a separate inquiry in January over claims they were mistreating vulnerable people in online events to generate payments from viewers.
Australian platform Kick said Wednesday all co-streamers involved in the event had been banned from the platform pending the outcome of the investigation.
It said it was also running a ‘complete re-evaluation’ of its French content.
The platform is seen as having less stringent user terms than those of its rival, the better-known Twitch streaming service.
Owen Cenazandotti, known by pseudonym Naruto (pictured left with Raphael Graven), and Safine Hamadi, known by pseudonym Safine (pictured right) were also in the room during the livestream
Police had been questioning witnesses and seizing evidence, including videos, prosecutor Damien Martinelli said in a statement.
‘Several interviews with people present at the time of his death have been conducted without yielding leads as to its causes,’ Martinelli said, adding that the autopsy would be carried out on Thursday.
‘The death of Jean Pormanove and the violence he suffered are an absolute horror,’ said Clara Chappaz, French junior minister for digital matters.
Officials insisted that ‘nothing suspicious’ had yet been identified, but shocking claims from local media allege Graven endured sleep deprivation, extreme violence, and ingestion of toxic substances before the tragedy.
It has been reported that a few days before his death, Graven sent a heartbreaking final message to his mother to say he felt as if he was ‘being held hostage’ and admitted he was ‘fed up’ with the controversial streams that had become his trademark.
Speaking out on the matter, Graven’s family said that what he went through in the lead up to his death was was ‘unacceptable’.
Talking to RTL following the tragedy, the streamer’s mother described him as a boy ‘with a big heart’ and said he gained a second family living in Nice.
‘He had brothers in Metz, but he found brothers in Nice, he was a family, he was invited everywhere,’ she told the media company.
And his sister now believes he died due to exhaustion as she says his death is ‘intolerable’.
Drake (pictured in 2022) is reportedly covering the funeral costs of French online star Raphael Graven with online streamer Adin Ross
‘I was very, very proud of what my brother became,’ she said. ‘I didn’t watch everything, but I think he shouldn’t have died like that, that he died of exhaustion. What he went through is unacceptable.’
Naruto, announced Graven’s death on Instagram, paying tribute to his ‘brother, sidekick, partner’.
He pleaded with fans not to share clips of the disturbing live stream, where Graven appeared unconscious before being found dead in bed.
France’s Minister for Digital Affairs and Artificial Intelligence, Clara Chappaz, condemned the ordeal as an ‘absolute horror’ and said platforms must do more to protect vulnerable creators.
Sarah El Haïry, the High Commissioner for Children, described the tragedy as ‘horrifying’, warning parents to remain vigilant about the violent content children can access online.
Kick, the streaming platform where Jeanpormanove built his following, said it was ‘deeply saddened’ by his death and promised to urgently review the circumstances.
‘We are urgently reviewing the circumstances and collaborating with relevant stakeholders. Kick’s community guidelines are designed to protect creators, and we are committed to enforcing them across our platform,’ a spokesperson told AFP.
The case has shone a harsh spotlight on the murky world of ‘humiliation streams’ in France, where creators allegedly endure extreme abuse for views and donations.
Le Monde described the dark side of human nature as ‘reminiscent of some of the most chilling episodes from the British dystopian tech series Black Mirror.’