By OLIVIA ALLHUSEN, FOREIGN NEWS REPORTER and TARYN KAUR PEDLER, FOREIGN NEWS REPORTER
The mother of a French online star who was allegedly subjected to 'ten days of torture' before dying in front of viewers on a live stream has spoken out.
Raphael Graven, better known online as Jean Pormanove, was a prominent figure in France's streaming world with over a million followers across social media.
He was subjected to gruesome online challenges involving humiliation, violence, and dangerous stunts before his death.
Previous streams reportedly saw Graven slapped, spat on and grabbed by the throat, with objects thrown at him.
The popular Kick creator, 46, was found dead overnight on Monday, in bed at his home in Contes, near Nice.
Kick is a streaming platform similar to Twitch where people broadcast live video to an audience who can comment and donate money in real time.
Graven is believed to have passed away in his sleep during a live broadcast, following what friends have described as relentless 'humiliation streams'.
Speaking to RTL, 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.
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.
And his sister now believes he died due to exhaustion as she says his death is 'intolerable'.
'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.'
French prosecutors confirmed an investigation has been launched in the streamer's tragic death, with an autopsy ordered.
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 his death.
His long-time collaborator, who streams under the name Naruto, announced his 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.
The streamer's broadcasts had reportedly featured degrading acts including being slapped, spat on, grabbed by the throat, and pelted with objects - all played out in front of thousands of viewers.
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.
Fellow streamers Naruto and Safine Hamadi, known as Safine - were previously questioned in connection with such content, but both were released after denying wrongdoing.
The pair were taken into police custody in January, but they were soon released as a Nice prosecutor said: 'Both the people likely to be implicated and those who were victims denied the commission of offences.'
Naruto's lawyer insisted his client bore 'no responsibility' for Jeanpormanove's death, telling Le Monde: 'We are awaiting the results of the investigation to determine the conditions of JP's death and identify the responsibilities of each person.'