The TikTok community has lost one of its own.
John Crawley, a social media star who went by the name KingBeardX (formerly Pimpmunkx) to his 2.5 million TikTok followers, died Aug. 18 after a weeks-long hospital stay, according to his friend and former podcast cohost Anthony Caruso. Crawley was 47.
“I'm really sorry to tell everyone the bad news but Pimpmunkx (KingBeardx) passed away yesterday,” Caruso (known online as Shabisky) wrote on a GoFundMe fundraising campaign, which was created to raise money for Crawley’s hospital stay. “Thank you to everyone that has supported the fundraiser so far. His mother told me to thank you all.”
After his death, Caruso and his friend, known online as Benpai, hosted a YouTube livestream to honor the content creator—who was known for his comedic and expressive reactions to food videos—and life and shared details about the events leading to Crawley’s death.
“John had been in the hospital for [three to four] weeks,” Benpai said during the Aug. 18 telecast. “He started having trouble breathing and then he had a heart attack last week. He had come in and out of it where they thought he was going to do OK and then he started getting bad again.”
Two days before Crawley’s tragic passing, Caruso had given somewhat of an optimistic update on his friend’s condition.
“I just spoke with his mom,” Caruso wrote on the GoFundMe page Aug. 16. “He can't talk but he is awake and responsive which is a good sign but he is still having lung/breathing issues.”
Crawley’s health issues began escalating at the beginning of August, when he was in the intensive care unit.
“He's having trouble breathing,” Caruso shared in an Aug. 8 TikTok video. “He's on a breathing machine, and things are getting even worse. He's going to have his breathing machine taken away tomorrow, and he's going to have a [tracheotomy] installed. So things are getting really bad.”
After news of his death, many of Crawley’s fans honored him by sharing kind words on his obituary page.
“Your videos were a bright spot in so many dark days—a reminder to laugh, to let go, and to enjoy the little things,” one visitor wrote. “You had a rare gift, not just for comedy, but for connection.”
They added, “Thank you for every smile, every laugh, every moment of joy you shared with the world. You’ll be deeply missed, but never forgotten. Rest easy Mr. Crawley.”