French streamer dies after 12 days of livestreamed physical abuse and sleep deprivation on Kick

Summary

Raphaël Graven, 46, known as Jean Pormanove, one of France's most popular streamers with over 1 million followers, died on August 18, 2025 during a 280-hour livestream on the Kick platform. Over 12 days, fellow streamers Owen Cenazandotti and Safine Hamadi subjected Graven to repeated physical abuse — beating, strangling, depriving him of sleep, tying him up, and pouring paint and water on him — while thousands of viewers watched and donated money. Graven had written to his mother shortly before his death that he felt kidnapped and wanted to leave. He was found unresponsive on a mattress; a viewer's donation alert prompted a co-streamer to throw a water bottle at him to check his condition. French authorities opened a criminal investigation into humiliation of vulnerable persons. The French Secretary of State for Digital Affairs called the incident 'an absolute horror.' Kick banned all participants pending the investigation.