YouTube celebrity Kevin Samuels, the well-known controversial life and dating coach who sprung to fame via social media, died Thursday, his mother confirmed to NBC News. He was 56 years old.
Rumors of the self-appointed relationship coach’s death spread like wildfire Thursday and Friday on social when sources said cops found him unresponsive at his Atlanta, Ga., home.
Details on what caused Samuels’ death remain unknown. His mother Beverly Samuels-Burch who also learned of his death on social media declined to say what happened.
An autopsy is pending, the Fulton County Medical Examiner’s Office said in a press release.
Officers responded to a call relating to a “person injured” inside a home, where police discovered an unresponsive Samuels, according to Atlanta police.
A woman in the home identified as Ortencia Alcantara, 32, was with him at the time told police Samuels complained about chest pain, cops said.
Fans and critics flooded social media remembering the contentious life coach when his death was confirmed.
Samuels was known for what many called his misogynistic views on women (particularly amongst the Black community) and operated under the self-proclaimed title of “image consultant.”
The social media star got his big break when he went viral for his “You’re Average At Best” video — which generated over 2.5 million views.
The video sparked widespread backlash and caused a social media war when clips of it circulated on Instagram and Twitter.
Samuels leaves behind an Instagram following of 1.2 million, over 1.44 million subscribers on YouTube, and nearly 40K followers on Twitter.
