Fans of Cooper Noriega were confronted by tragic news last week after the 19-year-old TikTok star passed away.
According to Fox News, Noriega was pronounced dead in a Los Angeles parking garage on June 9 following what his family says was a long battle with addiction and mental health issues. The cause of his death has yet to be released.
Star’s elder sister mourns her famous brother
The social media sensation’s untimely passing was addressed in an Instagram post by his sister, Parker Noriega, who said that her world has been turned “upside down forever.”
“[M]y sweet sweet baby brother…my blood..my best friend… my whole heart…the only person I loved more than anyone on this earth,” Fox News quoted her as saying.
“My heart is shattered..this doesn’t feel real…I will never be the same. You were loved by so many and will be missed immensely,” Ms. Noriega continued.
“Thank you God for choosing me to be his big sister for all of his 19 years. I know you’re watching down on me now…I feel it. I love you forever & ever…” she concluded.
Noriega recently made a video about dying young
Meanwhile, one of Noriega’s fans pointed out in a tweet that the star had recently made a video about dying at a young age.
it’s literally so heartbreaking that one of cooper’s last posts was “ who else be thinking they gonna die young af”
— ۵ (@diaryofapunk) June 10, 2022
The fan went on to add, “I know he was struggling with addiction since he was very young I cant even imagine how his friends and family feel.” She also praised Noriega for being “so passionate about making sure no one ever felt alone.”
Fox News noted that Noriega also operated a channel on the social media platform Discord called “Cooper’s Advice,” where he discussed his struggles.
“I’ve been struggling with addiction since I was 9 years old, you may think that’s crazy, but that’s the life I’ve been dealt,” one of his statements read.
“I would like to use the influence I’ve been given to create a space built on spreading awareness and normalizing talking about mental illness.”