Figure of Francophone streaming, Raphaël Graven, alias Jean Pormanove, passed away during the night of August 17 to 18, 2025, in Contes (Alpes-Maritimes), while a live broadcast was ongoing. Aged 46, he was found lifeless in his sleep. The Nice prosecutor’s office has opened an investigation and ordered an autopsy. This death raises questions about the excesses of live streaming and the responsibility of platforms.
What we know at this time about the influencer’s death
Raphaël Graven, known under the pseudonym Jean Pormanove, died during the night of August 17 to 18, 2025, at 46 years old, while a live broadcast was ongoing on the platform Kick. According to his close ones, he was found lifeless in his sleep. An investigation has been opened to establish the circumstances of the death, an autopsy is to be conducted. At this stage, authorities indicate no suspicious elements have been found.
In the following hours, excerpts from the end of the broadcast, where one can hear, for example: "He is really in a weird position," circulated on social media. Close ones have called not to share these images, out of respect for the deceased and his family.
An ascending trajectory, divisive formats
Influencer TikTok turned streamer, Jean Pormanove first emerged on TikTok before expanding on Twitch and then Kick. Between humor, live interactions, and video games (GTA V, Fortnite, FIFA 22), he gathered more than 550,000 subscribers in total. The signature: a blunt tone, a constant address to the chat, a fast pace.
As his fame grew, the formats hardened. At the end of 2024, an investigative report revealed sequences mixing humiliations and violence live, involving notably regular collaborators. These included water jets, paint, strangulation gestures, and mockery targeting Jean Pormanove as well as a disabled man known under the pseudonym Coudoux. The shock caused by these images reignited the debate on the responsibility of producers and platforms.
The economic model of live streaming put to the test
The disappearance of Raphaël Graven highlights a central tension: to exist in the attention economy, creators multiply "highlight moments". Live streaming imposes duration, sometimes one-upmanship. Revenues, such as donations, subscriptions, product placements, and advertising, heavily depend on an audience curve. This curve rewards the exceptional more than the routine. Hence, there is a risk of establishing provocation or humiliation as a writing mechanism.
This logic does not erase creativity. However, it reminds us of an obvious fact: economic pressure can distort formats and weaken internal safeguards. In some circles, the team surrounding the creator becomes a "writers’ room" with ambiguous objectives: to make people laugh, to make people talk, to provoke reactions — sometimes at the cost of trivializing violent acts. The death of JP acts as a revelation of a system where the boundary between play, staging, and violation of dignity can become blurred.
Platforms, moderation, and regulation
Kick has established itself since 2022 as the most permissive alternative to Twitch (owned by Amazon). Its defenders praise a more flexible moderation and advantageous revenue sharing; its detractors see it as a breath of fresh air for transgressive content. Twitch, older, displays strict code of conduct rules but remains confronted with circumventions.
Beyond in-house charters, platforms operating in Europe must comply with the Digital Services Act: reporting mechanisms, cooperation with authorities, systemic risk assessment, increased transparency. In France, the Arcom encourages moderation commitments and can take legal action in case of serious breaches.
In practice, much is played out on a micro scale: internal policies, responsiveness of teams, alert tools for communities. The Pormanove episode reminds us that a live stream is not just a studio: it is a permanent co-production between creators, entourage, platforms… and the public.
Images that raise questions
The broadcast of excerpts showing the last moments of the streamer poses a double question: ethical and legal. Ethical, because the right to dignity also applies after death; legal, because the non-consensual dissemination of intimate images can be sanctioned. For the public, a reflex is necessary: do not share. For platforms and creators, the urgency is to safeguard these contents. It is also crucial to prevent virality and support communities.
Where the investigation into the influencer’s death stands
On August 18, 2025, the territorially competent research brigade continues interviews and observations. An autopsy has been ordered to determine the exact causes of death. At this stage, no criminal lead is publicly established. Authorities remind internet users that the republication of images infringing on privacy is illegal. Moreover, it can also harm dignity and fall under the law.
Milestones
- End of 2024: an investigative report highlights humiliations filmed live involving the streamer’s entourage.
- Night of August 17 to 18, 2025: death of Raphaël Graven while a live stream is ongoing.
- August 18, 2025 (afternoon): local confirmation of the death, opening of an investigation, and autopsy to come.
A mourning community, a contrasted legacy
The announcement of the death sparked a wave of emotion among creators and subscribers on TikTok, Twitch, and Kick. Messages of condolences and calls for calm poured in, notably from the streamer’s close ones. The gaming moments, the bursts of laughter, an energy that marked Francophone streaming will remain. But the legacy is ambivalent: it mixes the invention of codes and the exposure of the excesses of a sector in full expansion.
What we are monitoring
- The forensic results and any communications from the Nice prosecutor’s office.
- The decisions of Kick and Twitch regarding moderation and prevention.
- The tributes and memorial spaces organized by the community.
Ecostylia Magazine will continue to follow the investigation and its lessons for the streaming ecosystem.