Cooper Noriega, Beloved TikTok Star, Dead at 19
Cooper Noriega, a popular star on the wildly popular social media platform TikTok, died on June 9, according to coroner files obtained by multiple news sites.
He was 19 years old.
The teenager was was pronounced dead at the scene in a Burbank parking lot on Thursday evening, a Los Angeles Medical Examiner-Coroner spokesperson said on Friday afternoon.
His cause of death has been deferred, which “means that after an autopsy, a cause of death has not been determined and the medical examiner is requesting more investigation.”
“Once the tests/studies come back, the doctor evaluates the case again and makes the cause of death determination,” the spokesperson added.
Hours before his body was discovered, Noriega posted a video of himself on his TikTok account, in which he wrote:
“who else b thinking they gon d!€ young af”
Earlier this week, Noriega also expressed his desire to talk about mental health online, as he opened up about his struggles with addiction that began when he was 9 years old.
“I would like to use the influence I’ve been given to create a space built on spreading awareness and normalizing talking about mental illness,” he wrote on Instagram June 6.
“My goal is to eventually open a rehab where people aren’t traumatized at the end of their recovery, and where the staff meetings are trusted people.
“One of the many things I’ve learnt while struggling with addiction was that surrounding yourself with negative people will only bring you down.”
He continued as follows:
“For that reason this discord is meant to bring us all together and create a safe space where people can vent and help others through their tough times.”
A GoFundMe page has already created to assist Cooper’s family with funeral costs and to honor “his dream to help people with mental health and addiction.”
“Cooper had many many goals for himself,” the organizer wrote, noting that he hoped to “open a rehab center” and help people “of all ages all around the world.”
“You will be missed dearly cooper, you are so loved! May you be at peace,” the message concluded.
Shortly after Noriega’s death was confirmed, loved ones expressed condolences online and shared their fondest memories of the TikTok personality.
“My heart hurts,” Blake Gray wrote in the comments section of Cooper’s pinned Instagram post.
“It doesn’t feel real. Please tell me it’s not real. You always had the most positive energy no matter where we were. Rest easy coop.”
Digital creator Taylor Caniff added: “Rest in peace man. I still have a stop for you on my couch. Ima build this rehab in your honor.”
Most recently, Noriega appeared on the June 1 episode of the Barstool BFFs podcast with Dave Portnoy, Josh Richards and Bri Chickenfry.
“Devastating news,” the show wrote on Twitter on Friday evening. “RIP Cooper Noriega. Life is fragile. Enjoy every minute.”
May Cooper Noriega rest in peace.