TikTok star Brandon Brootal dies: Tributes paid by fans
Instagram: brandonmckessonTikTok creator Brandon Brootal has died, according to a post on his Instagram on January 30. Fans have paid tribute to the star, who had amassed a following of over 1.4 million on TikTok.
Known as ‘brandonbrootal7’ on TikTok, Brandon McKesson posted what he called ‘early 2000’s emo/scene content’ to his account, and his efforts had made him one of the most popular creators in this genre on the app.
The last video on his account was posted on November 28, 2021, talking about his hope to find an emo girlfriend, “that special one.”
After his absence from posting, fans pleaded with him to return to making videos, but news hit his Instagram account, that he had passed.
“To honor the request of Brandon’s fans, his family will continue to post unreleased photos here for you to remember him by,” the post read. “Long Live Brandon Brootal, Rest In Peace, Brandon.” The Instagram account has since been made unavailable.
View this post on Instagram
Two videos were also to have been recovered from Brandon’s camera roll, where he discussed why he hadn’t “been focusing on his appearance” as much, followed by a heartbreaking video in which he said he was going to die and “I don’t think I’m going to be here anymore.”
Tributes paid to Brandon Brootal on TikTok
As news of his passing spread, the TikTok community has paid their respects to the late creator.
The hashtag #brandonbrootal has accrued over 1.5 million views, with the top TikTok from ‘Goldfish’ full of commenters expressing their sympathies and remembering Brandon’s content.
https://www.tiktok.com/@gpldfish/video/7059752957826420015
“He was genuinely one of my favorite creators and it’s sad that all anyone did was bully him,” one fan said.
Another posted, “I loved him so much, he was unapologetic about being himself and it was inspirational and I am genuinely upset.”
Brandon’s family said that he loved poetry and music, and would continue to post and repost content from Brandon’s archives to maintain his presence on social media. “We will continue to honor Brandon’s memory by carrying on as we believe he would have wanted.”
If you are experiencing suicidal thoughts, or know anyone that is, and you would like to talk to someone, please reach out and call the Suicide Prevention Helpline 1-800-273-8255 (USA) or the Samaritans 116-123 (UK).