Sauber issues statement following tragedy involving Kick streamer

Sauber says it is “saddened” by the events of recent days, in which a French streamer on the Kick platform passed away.

A French streamer, who was prolific on the Kick platform, passed away during a live broadcast this week.

Sauber ‘saddened’ by Kick tragedy

French authorities have launched an investigation into the death of French streamer, Jeanpormanove, this week.

On August 18th, Jeanpormanove, whose real name is Raphael Graven, was found dead in a residence in Contes, a village north of Nice in the south of France.

Graven is reported as having been subjected to physiological and psychological challenges, which included violence and sleep deprivation, during ongoing livestreams with streaming co-creators on the Kick platform.

The local prosecutor, Damien Martinelli, has said an autopsy will take place on Thursday to establish a cause of death for the 46-year-old.

Graven, according to multiple reports, had been part of a live stream that was on its 10th consecutive day when he is alleged to have passed away in his sleep, visible to the cameras.

He had built up a worldwide following of over a million people, with a strong community having been established on the Kick platform, upon which he and his content collaborators frequently appeared.

One of these collaborators, ‘Naruto’, confirmed Graven’s death on social media, paying tribute to his “brother, sidekick, and partner”, and asked his followers not to republish any clips showing the streamer dead or unconscious.

Sauber, whose title sponsors are Kick and Stake (whose founders contributed to the establishment of Kick), has issued a statement to respond to the tragedy involving its sponsor.

“We are saddened by this tragedy,” a team spokesperson told PlanetF1.com, “and trust KICK to take all necessary steps to uphold its safeguards and protect creators.”

With a judicial investigation now underway, a statement from the local prosecutor has confirmed that equipment and video have been seized in order to clarify events occurring prior to the death, and that people have been questioned by the police.

However, these initial interviews have yet to provide guidance as to the cause of death.

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Graven was known for his extreme online challenges and was also the subject of a police investigation earlier this year into an alleged “deliberate violent act against vulnerable people” as videos of himself and another streamer, known as Coudoux, appeared to be victims of violence and humiliation.

Both denied being victims of violence and that their acts were part of a staged event aimed at making money via online streams.

“Both stated that they had never been injured, were completely free to move and make their own decisions, and refused to be examined by a doctor or a psychiatrist,” the prosecutor said.

French government minister Clara Chappaz described Graven’s death as “horrifying” and said the issue had been referred to Arcom, the French media regulator.

A spokesperson for Kick told the BBC that the company was “urgently reviewing” the circumstances around the streamer’s death.

“We are deeply saddened by the loss of Jeanpormanove and extend our condolences to his family, friends, and community,” they said.

Kick has been a title sponsor of Sauber over the past two seasons, but with the Swiss team being taken over completely by Audi, which has revealed online banking giant Revolut as its title partner, this partnership looks set to end at the conclusion of the F1 2025 season.

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