French Police Investigate Popular Streamer’s Death Amidst Allegations of Abuse During 12-Day Livestream

A prominent French streamer, Raphaël Graven, aged 46 and known online as Jean Pormanove or JP, passed away during a nearly 12-day live stream following what appears to be abusive and humiliating treatment. The incident occurred on Monday, making headlines across the nation.

Graven, a military veteran with over a million followers across various platforms, gained popularity for streaming his video game playthroughs and participating in extreme challenges. He collaborated with other streamers since 2023, notably Owen Cenazandotti, better known as Naruto online, and Safine Hamadi, both of whom were present during the final live stream.

Cenazandotti confirmed Graven’s death on Instagram on Monday. The livestream, which seemed to depict his passing, saw viewers donating money to send messages alerting the sleeping streamers about Pormanove’s condition. Authorities in Nice have since launched an investigation into his death and ordered an autopsy. As of now, no charges related to Graven’s death have been announced.

In retrospect, numerous videos from past livestreams indicate that Graven was the subject of jokes, bullying, physical attacks, and degrading stunts. Joint livestreams showed his fellow streamers competing to see how long they could throttle him, while others depicted him being shot with paintballs or doused with water.

Thanks to donations from subscribers, the group earned substantial sums from these livestreams. During Graven’s final livestream, a counter at the top of the screen suggested that over €36,000 ($42,000) was collected throughout the days-long stream.

Throughout the final livestream, which reportedly ran for nearly 300 hours, participants were woken up by the revving of a motorbike in their shared bedroom or a leafblower. At one point, Graven appeared to be awakened when a bucket of water was thrown over him.

In an interview with a CNN affiliate, Yassin Sadouni, Cenazandotti’s lawyer, revealed that Graven suffered from cardiovascular problems. One video showed Graven discussing his medication needs, while another seemed to depict Cenazandotti reading out messages Graven sent to his mother complaining of being “held prisoner” by his co-streamers.

Cenazandotti stated in the message that “the game is going too far,” during Graven’s final livestream. It remains unclear who precisely Graven was referring to, and in a later clip, he tells Cenazandotti, “you know what I’m like when I’m angry” in reference to the messages.

In another clip, Graven’s mother berated him over the phone for allowing his co-streamers to shave off parts of his hair. “Are you proud of your hair? Did you see what he did to you?” she said, “They are treating you like s***.”

Sadouni, Cenazandotti’s lawyer, explained that Graven’s mother participated in staged stunts with the streamers. A common theme in discussions with his co-streamers was Graven’s wish to marry and have children, a hope that often drew apparent mockery from the streamers.

In a video from 2024, Graven expressed how he hoped to be remembered upon his death: “No wife, no kids. But what a nice guy!” Graven continued, “Me, what’s on my mind now, it’s to leave a mark.”

Sadouni confirmed that Cenazandotti, known by his streamer handle Naruto, had nothing to do with Graven’s death and stated that the incidents targeting Graven were all staged. “My client is ready to be heard and to provide all useful information,” he told CNN affiliate BFMTV on Tuesday. Cenazandotti also filed a complaint with authorities alleging online harassment since Graven’s death, according to Sadouni.

CNN reached out to Graven’s mother and Hamadi for comment. Both Cenazandotti and Hamadi were briefly detained as part of a police investigation into the humiliation of vulnerable people in January 2025, according to CNN affiliate BFMTV. The Nice prosecutor stated that they denied committing any crime and have not been charged with any crime.

French Secretary of State for Artificial Intelligence and Digital Affairs Clara Chappaz expressed her condolences on the matter: “The death of Jean Pormanove and the violence he endured are an absolute horror. Jean Pormanove was humiliated and mistreated for months live on the Kick platform.”

Kick, the streaming platform used by the streamers, announced that all those involved in the broadcast had been banned “pending the ongoing investigation,” which the site will cooperate with.