Kick streamer Raphael Graven: French online streamer dies after ‘10 days and nights of torture’ challenge

An online streamer has died after a marathon 10-day livestream in which he was allegedly subjected to “10 days and nights of torture”.

Police rushed to the home of Kick streamer Raphael Graven, who is also known as Jeanpormanove and has around 500,000 followers, on August 18, where he was found alone and unconscious.

The alarm was raised when the livestream of the torture challenge that had included “extreme” physical violence, sleep deprivation and the ingestion of toxic products ended abruptly.

A since-deleted video was circulated on social media of what appeared to be Mr Graven lying lifeless with his head barely visible on a mattress covered with a doona and not responding to calls of other men who were waking up, Le Parisien reported.

“He’s in a really weird position,” someone says before the live stream is cut.

The Nice prosecutor’s office told Le Parisien that an investigation was underway into the circumstances surrounding the death, but there was nothing initially that was deemed suspicious.

The 46-year-old Frenchman was known for his extreme challenges and was often used by other streamers as the butt of a joke, according to BFMTV.

Past livestream videos showed men hitting, strangling and shooting Mr Graven with a paintball gun.

Fellow streamer Owen Cenazandotti, known as Naruto online, pleaded with people not to share the video of Mr Graven’s final moments.

“I ask you all to respect his memory and not share the video of his last breath in his sleep. My brother, my sidekick, my partner, six years side by side, without ever letting go, I love you, my brother, and we will miss you terribly,” Cenazandotti wrote in an Instagram story.

Cenazandotti was one of a number of streamers known to play a role in the extreme challenges undertaken by Mr Graven.

A spokesperson for Kick, a live streaming platform similar to Twitch, told the BBC the company was “urgently reviewing the circumstances surrounding Mr Graven’s death.

They said the platform’s community guidelines were designed to protect creators.

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

French government minister Clara Chappaz described Mr Graven’s death and violence he endured as an “absolute horror”, in a post on X.

“Jean Pormanove was humiliated and mistreated for months live on the Kick platform. A judicial investigation is underway. I have referred the matter to Arcom and made a report on Pharos. I have also contacted the platform’s management to obtain explanations.

“The responsibility of online platforms regarding the dissemination of illicit content is not optional: it is the law. This type of failure can lead to the worst and has no place in France, Europe, or anywhere else.”