YouTube sensation Zepa has died at the age of 26, her family have announced after they mourned the late star in a private and intimate funeral
Zepa has died at the age of 26(Image: Jam Press)
A popular YouTube star has died. Zepa was just 26. Her sudden death was announced via one of her social media accounts on Monday.
A statement read: “Please accept my apologies for this sudden message. Zepa has passed away unexpectedly. I would like to apologise on her behalf for bringing you this news. The funeral was held privately with family members only.
“We would like to express our deepest gratitude for the kindness and support you showed her during her lifetime.” Zepa, whose legal name has not been made public, had built a huge following of more than 1.4 million fans across social media.
On YouTube alone, she attracted over 600,000 subscribers with her Jirai-kei fashion videos and live-streamed drink taste tests. The star, from Japan’s Kansai region, had originally dreamed of becoming a hairdresser.
But she later changed course on her mother’s advice and went on to study law at university. Her cause of death has not been revealed, although she had previously spoken about struggling with alcohol and being in a low place.
She had also opened up about family issues and online abuse, as reported by NeedToKnow. Since the tragic news broke, fans have flooded her pages with emotional tributes.
One wrote: “She was young, beautiful, and talented – it’s truly heartbreaking.” Another said: “She was someone you wanted to watch on the toughest days. On nights you wanted to laugh, or nights you didn’t want to think at all, Zepa was there for you. She joked that she’d ‘keep uploading videos with zero content’, but for us, none of it was ever ‘zero’ – it’s all something precious that will stay with us.”
Another devastated fan tweeted: “I still can’t believe it, but I sincerely pray for your soul’s eternal peace.” A fifth typed: “The time spent drinking with Zepa-chan was truly so much fun and filled with happiness that I still can’t forget those moments even now. I pray from the bottom of my heart for your eternal peace.”
While responding to speculation that the news may be a prank, another fan tweeted: “If it were a lie, it would be in poor taste, but Zepa-san wouldn’t do something like that, so it’s probably true. May you rest in peace. Thank you for all the entertaining videos.”
Born in 1999, Zepa once stopped with her YouTube channel for a brief period of time before resuming again in 2024 and launching a new channel this year. On March 31 this year, the star took to X, formerly known as Twitter and penned: “It seems that the average lifespan for alcohol dependency is around 50 years old… Have I already passed the halfway mark…?
“By the way, Zepa Jiijii (who says ‘If you guys drink that much booze, you’ll kick the bucket at 4!’ while drinking more than anyone else and being invincible) is 80 years old.”
If you’re struggling and need to talk, the Samaritans operate a free helpline open 24/7 on 116 123. Alternatively, you can email jo@samaritans.org or visit their site to find your local branch
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