The massively popular, highly controversial YouTuber Kevin Samuels was reportedly found dead on May 5. According to the Atlanta Police Department, Samuels was with a woman he met that day who then spent the night with him. The woman told officials Samuels said he was dealing with chest pains, which is when she called the APD , who discovered him unresponsive. Samuels, 57, was known for his commentary on modern dating, which often involved denigrating women and championing conservative ideas around gender roles. In a widely-circulated clip from an April 22 livestream, Samuels said that single women over 35 were “leftovers.”
Samuels, who identified as an “image consultant,” had more than 1.2 million Instagram followers, and another 1.4 million on YouTube. Samuels first achieved notoriety by posting fragrance reviews on his YouTube and Patreon, and in recent years was known for his lengthy livestreams, where he would field questions from audience members, often clad in a sharp black suit. He often stressed a belief that Black women had unrealistically high standards about the types of men they should be dating, while also being vocally critical of men who are poor or overweight.
In February, Future shot a fake therapy session with Samuels to promote his single “Worst Day,” which tied into the concept of toxic masculinity that the rapper often explores in his music. In the clip, Samuels asks Future about the extent of his lavish spending habits. Future received criticism for working with Samuels, but later told GQ he wasn’t aware of Samuels’ reputation until he saw the backlash. “If I knew who he was before the video, I would’ve felt like it was a typical move,” he said, noting that the creative decision was made by the video’s director. “People associate me with being toxic. I would’ve overthought it.”
The day before he passed, Samuels did a nearly two-hour livestream titled “Modern Women Are A Party of 1” where he was critical of women, particularly those who are college educated, who opt not to settle in their relationships. “Why are so many modern women holding out? What are you holding out for? Whatever it is, ladies, it ain’t working, and the net result is you become a party of one,” he said.
Some of Samuels’ more controversial statements included saying he believes children lie about being abused and being critical of the appearances of Black women. “Beauty is universal, and the thing is, when you’re talking about Black women, they are on the opposite end of the spectrum in all ranks,” he said. News of his death garnered a wide range of social media responses, with many acknowledging the harm his regressive rhetoric caused, and others claiming that the backlash against him was overblown.