TikTok star VonDiddy made a final video telling fans how he’d like to be remembered — just hours before taking his own life.
In the haunting clip, uploaded Monday, the social media star, whose real name is Joe Muchlinski, said he feared he’d only be remembered as “an addict and an alcoholic who put his family through hell.”
“I want to be remembered as a creator —as a creator of videos that made people laugh and a creator of music,” the Minnesota comedian, 32, stated.
“I also want to be remembered as a camp counselor who helped kids to make happy memories. I’d rather not be remembered as an addict and an alcoholic who put his family through. But unfortunately, that’s also part of me.”
“I feel so thankful to have such a following. You guys mean the world to me,” he continued.
“All in all, I’ve had a terrific life. I’ve got to visit the other side of the world, and I’ve made tons of friends from all walks of life. I have nothing to complain about, and I have nothing but peace and love for each and every one of you.”
The clip was uploaded just 24 hours before it was revealed that the comedian had died by suicide.
Meanwhile, in a separate TikTok clip, uploaded on Aug. 16, Muchlinski made another allusion to his impending death while referencing his own music.
“I don’t plug my music very much and I won’t plug it again, possibly never,” he stated in that video.
Muchlinski’s sister, Martha, broke the news to fans Tuesday that her brother had died by suicide.
“I do want to confirm for his fans that he did lose his long battle with mental illness, and he did take his own life,” she shared in a TikTok of her own. “TikTok meant a lot to him. It gave him joy. It gave him something to laugh at and to make other people laugh at and he really appreciated that.”
Martha added that Joe “fought a really, really long, terrible battle with his mental illness.”
“And all we can hope now is that he’s at peace,” she said. “But I did want to provide that closure for anybody who was a VonViddy fan, just to let you know what happened.”
If you are struggling with suicidal thoughts or are experiencing a mental health crisis and live in New York City, you can call 1-888-NYC-WELL for free and confidential crisis counseling. If you live outside the five boroughs, you can dial the 24/7 National Suicide Prevention hotline at 1-800-273-8255 or go to SuicidePreventionLifeline.org.