TikTok star Cooper Noriega has died at the age of 19.
The teenager, who posted about fashion, comedy and skateboarding, was found dead in a car park in Burbank, California on Thursday (9 June), according to the Los Angeles Medical Examiner-Coroner.
According to US press, his cause of death has been deferred, meaning that “after an autopsy, a cause of death has not been determined and the medical examiner is requesting more investigation”.
Hours before his death, Noriega had posted a video to his 2.1 million followers on TikTok of himself lying in bed, with the caption: “Who else b thinking they gon die young af.”
Days before he died, he had shared his struggles with mental health and addiction on Instagram, writing: “I’ve been struggling with addiction since I was nine years old, you may think that’s crazy, but that’s the life I’ve been dealt. I would like to use the influence I’ve been given to create a space built on spreading awareness and normalising talking about mental illness…
“One of the many thing I’ve learnt while struggling with addiction is that surrounding yourself with negative people will only bring you down.”
On 5 June, Noriega shared a TikTok video announcing that he was starting a group for people to discuss their experiences with mental health on Discord, a messaging platform.
In the video, Noriega said: “I have just created a Discord server strictly for mental health because how much I love you guys, and how much I struggle with it myself."
He added: "I want you guys to not be alone and feel safe."
If you have been affected by this article, you can contact the following organisations for support: actiononaddiction.org.uk, mind.org.uk, nhs.uk/livewell/mentalhealth, mentalhealth.org.uk.
If you are experiencing feelings of distress and isolation, or are struggling to cope, the Samaritans offers support; you can speak to someone for free over the phone, in confidence, on 116 123 (UK and ROI), email jo@samaritans.org, or visit the Samaritans website to find details of your nearest branch.
If you are based in the USA, and you or someone you know needs mental health assistance right now, call National Suicide Prevention Helpline on 1-800-273-TALK (8255). The Helpline is a free, confidential crisis hotline that is available to everyone 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
If you are in another country, you can go to www.befrienders.org to find a helpline near you.
