Content creators who allegedly subjected a French streamer to months of abuse before his death during a live broadcast received more than £31,000 from viewers who encouraged increasingly degrading acts, prosecutors have revealed.
Raphael Graven, 46, known online as Jean Pormanove or JP, died during a marathon 300-hour livestream on Monday at a property in the village of Contes, near Nice. The military veteran had built a following of more than one million across social media platforms by participating in extreme challenges that often involved violence and humiliation.
Prosecutors in Nice confirmed they had opened an investigation into Graven’s death and ordered a post-mortem examination. The livestream, which was widely shared afterwards, showed Graven lying motionless under a bed cover as viewers desperately donated money to alert his sleeping co-streamers to his condition.
French Digital Affairs Minister Clara Chappaz condemned the incident as an “absolute horror,” stating: “Jean Pormanove was humiliated and mistreated for months live on the Kick platform. A judicial investigation is underway.”
The creators allegedly responsible for the abuse were identified as Owen Cenazandotti, 26, known online as “Naruto,” and Safine Hamadi, 23. Both had collaborated with Graven since 2023 and participated in his final livestream. A fundraising counter visible during the broadcast indicated the group had collected approximately €36,000 (£31,000) from viewers.
Previous streams reportedly showed Graven being slapped, strangled, force-fed, doused in paint and oil, and shot with paintball guns. During the fatal 12-day stream, participants were subjected to sleep deprivation, being woken by revving motorbikes and leaf blowers. At one point, Graven was doused with a bucket of water whilst sleeping.
Most disturbingly, Graven had sent messages to his mother before his death, saying: “Hi mum, how are you? Stuck for a bit in his death game. It’s going too far. I feel like I’m being held prisoner by their sh***y concept. I’m fed up, I want to get out of here, the other guy won’t let me, he’s keeping me locked in.”
Cenazandotti and Hamadi had previously been detained in January 2025 as part of a police investigation into the humiliation of vulnerable people, following a Mediapart exposé about their content. They were suspected of producing videos involving vulnerable persons but were released without charge after denying any wrongdoing.
Yassin Sadouni, Cenazandotti’s lawyer, claimed Graven suffered from cardiovascular problems and insisted all violence in the videos was staged. “All those scenes are just staged, they follow a script,” he told BFMTV, adding that his client had “nothing to do with Pormanove’s death.”
However, a chilling clip from before Graven’s death showed Cenazandotti demanding: “Let him say on camera, right now, that if he dies tomorrow in the middle of a live show, it’s due to his shitty state of health and not to us.” When Graven initially refused, Cenazandotti insisted until he complied.
Kick, the Australian-registered streaming platform known for its looser content moderation compared to rivals like Twitch, announced it had banned all participants pending the investigation. “We are deeply saddened by the loss of Jeanpormanove and extend our condolences to his family, friends and community,” a spokesperson said.
The platform confirmed it would cooperate with authorities and was “urgently reviewing” its French content. “Our priority is to protect creators and ensure a safer environment on Kick,” they added.
Sarah El Haïry, France’s High Commissioner for Children, called the death “horrifying” and warned parents about violent online content. “Platforms have an immense responsibility in regulating online content so that our children are not exposed to violent content,” she posted on social media.
Graven’s mother had previously confronted him during streams about his treatment. In one recorded call, she berated him after his co-streamers shaved parts of his hair, saying: “Are you proud of your hair? Did you see what he did to you? They are treating you like s***.”
The tragedy has drawn comparisons to dystopian fiction, with many social media users likening it to episodes of the British series Black Mirror. It has also reignited debates about platform responsibility and the exploitation of vulnerable individuals for entertainment.
Cenazandotti announced Graven’s death on Instagram, calling him his “brother, sidekick, partner” and asking people not to share videos of his “last breath.” He has since filed a complaint with authorities claiming he is being harassed online following the incident.
The investigation continues as French authorities grapple with questions about consent, exploitation, and the responsibilities of streaming platforms in preventing such tragedies. Chappaz has referred the matter to French media regulator Arcom and filed a report with Pharos, France’s portal for reporting illicit internet content.
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