On August 18, viewers of a Kick livestream in France witnessed a tragic event when 46-year-old Jean “JP” Pormanove, real name Raphaël Graven, died in his sleep on camera. Over a 12-day period, Jean—a former soldier—was allegedly subjected to abuse by fellow streamers Owen “Naruto” Cenazandotti and Safine Hamad, who reportedly forced him into humiliating and dangerous stunts while viewers paid donations totaling €36,000 (around RM163,000). Alleged acts included suffocation with plastic bags, sleep deprivation, head strikes, forced ingestion of toxic substances, and degradation such as cleaning excrement and hair shaving.
During the livestream, Jean sent messages to his mother saying he felt “kidnapped” and “fed up” with the situation. Reports suggest that Cenazandotti pressured Jean to absolve the streamers of responsibility in case of death, which Jean refused.
Jean had underlying cardiac issues and was being treated for thyroid problems. An autopsy revealed his death was likely due to medical or toxicological causes, not trauma. French authorities have opened an investigation into whether Kick allowed illegal content to be distributed on its platform.
The incident has sparked outrage over platform accountability, with France’s Minister for Digital Affairs calling the humiliation and mistreatment “unacceptable” and emphasizing that online platforms are legally responsible for hosting harmful content. Kick stated it is reviewing the situation and cooperating with relevant authorities.
