Controversial YouTube star Kevin Samuels, known for his divisive comments about Black women, died in Atlanta hospital after being found unresponsive in a Buckhead apartment Thursday morning.
His mother, Beverly Samuels-Burch, confirmed his passing to NBC News, noting that she learned of her son’s death on social media. She has released no further details about his passing. NBC reported that the Fulton County Medical Examiner’s Office listed Samuels’ age as 53.
Samuels was found unresponsive at an apartment in the toney Atlanta enclave . According to a post on Twitter that includes a portion of a document purported to be a police report obtained by Phillip Lewis of HuffPost, Samuels suffered from a heart attack after spending the evening with a nurse named Ortencia Alcantara. That post also states the apartment was Samuels’ home.
Alcantara called 911 after Samuels complained of chest pains, the post reads. He eventually collapsed on top of her, she said, and by the time police arrived, Samuels was unresponsive, according to that report. He was transported to nearby Piedmont Atlanta hospital and pronounced dead, police told NBC.
Rumors of his death first circulated on social media Thursday night. “That was a terrible thing for social media to put that out. I didn’t even know. I hadn’t even been notified,” Samuels’ mother said in the telephone interview with NBC. “All I’m doing is requesting that people pray for us.”
According to the report, the Fulton County Medical Examiner’s office performed an autopsy on Samuels, and his cause of death is pending.
Samuels, a self-described image consultant, has gone viral for his harsh criticism of single mothers, overweight Black women and broke Black men. He doled out advice almost daily to his more than 1.4 million YouTube subscribers. Most recently he caught heat for telling women over the age of 35 that they are “leftover” women.
“If you have made it to 35 and you are unmarried, you are a leftover woman,” Samuels said on his podcast last month, according to NewsOne. “You are what is left. Men know that there is likely something wrong with you.”
“Here’s what’s going to happen. If you are a woman 35 plus and you want a man that’s on the same lifestyle level, you’re going to have to share him,” Samuels added.
News of Samuels’ death has been met with mixed reactions on social media. While his strongest supporters are saddened by his sudden passing, many of Samuels’ critics have spoken out about his views, which they see as contentious and oppressive.
“Kevin Samuels has made a career off of shamelessly disgracing Black women for profit. He emboldened the most toxic individuals to project tired and harmful narratives about Black women,” journalist Ernest Owens tweeted. “Dead or alive, what a disgraceful life to live. That’s all I’ve got for that misogynist.”
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