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TikTok content creator John E. Crawley, aka KingBeardX, passed away on August 18 at the age of 47. Social media is a place where anybody can make content about anything and potentially grow a large following. This has allowed users to become familiar with a range of unique personalities who might otherwise have not gotten the attention they deserved. TikTok and Instagram, with their bite-sized content that can suck viewers in for hours, were two such avenues for KingBeardX.
A Mississippi-based creator, John E. Crawley’s social media popularity began growing around 2020, thanks to his funny and over-the-top reactions to things as mundane as somebody eating cinnamon rolls. His relatable observations and playful humor, combined with his trademark fluffy beard, earned KingBeardX a following of over 3.5 million across TikTok and Instagram. Crawley also went by the moniker Pimpmunkx on Twitter and formerly co-hosted a podcast with Anthony Caruso, aka Shabisky.
John E. Crawley, Known as KingBeardX, Passes Away
Caruso launched a GoFundMe campaign to raise money for Crawley’s hospital stay, which his friend revealed had begun in early August. The content creator had first presented with breathing difficulties, was put on a ventilator for low oxygen levels, and ultimately wound up in the ICU. On August 18, KingBeardX passed away at age 47, reportedly due to cardiac arrest, according to TMZ.
Understandably, fan reactions to Crawley’s passing have begun to appear on his more recent videos on TikTok and Instagram, as well as his memorial page on the Glenfield Funeral Home website. Comments such as “fly high unc” and “Tell me it’s just a rumour man” sum up the way KingBeardX’s followers are feeling in response to the news. “His videos made a lot of my bad days so much brighter,” wrote one fan under his obituary. As for the GoFundMe, it has been converted from a goal of $31,574 for Crawley’s hospital bills to $9,000 to cover his funeral costs. It has raised close to $3,000 so far.
Unfortunately, KingBeardX is not the first popular content creator to pass unexpectedly or prematurely, and he will undoubtedly not be the last. Sometimes fans have a bit of warning to prepare mentally, such as when Minecraft YouTuber Technoblade passed in 2022. But often, physical or mental health issues strike suddenly, leaving family members and followers stunned. But these content creators, even if never or only superficially met in real life, can have a lasting impact on those who remember them. Even now, annual memorial posts commemorate the passing of people like Etika and Reckful, five and six years after their deaths, respectively, and John E. Crawley’s passing might inspire his fans to do the same.
