TikTok star Emman Atienza’s final post to the platform was just two days before she tragically took her own life.
Atienza, who died at her home in Los Angeles, California, on Wednesday, had last shared a TikTok video on Oct. 20.
The video showed several clips of the 19-year-old lifestyle star with her friends as they jumped into a lake, hiked, went rock climbing, hung out at the beach and prepared for Halloween.
“Life lately🌸 does this go hard🌸” she captioned the video.
Weeks before the news of Atienza’s passing, she took to Instagram to discuss deactivating her TikTok account because she was finding it “increasingly hard to be authentic and proud” of the content she was sharing.
“I started posting on TikTok last year as a little diary & as exposure therapy because I was very insecure of my looks and personality for a long time,” Atienza wrote on Sept. 1, according to People.
“Not only have I become infinitely more confident, secure and authentic, I’ve also met so many amazing people along the way,” she added.
Atienza further claimed that she was feeling “anxious” and “dreadful” every time she shared a post because of “death threats” and “bullies” in the comments section.
“I never really did social media for money,” she continued. “I did it for fun, self expression, and community. Maybe I’d put up with the hate knowing I’d be receiving a paycheck at the end of every month. But my main compensation was always the joy & passion I felt when posting — which has been fading.”
After deactivating her TikTok account last month to “collect my thoughts, reset my values & clear my head of the dread,” Atienza returned to the platform one week later.
“Touched grass this week,” she wrote alongside a montage of LA activities on Sept. 9.
Atienza’s final Instagram post, meanwhile, featured a cryptic caption about a “murderer.”
“Theres a murderer on the last slide but he’s chill [don’t worry],” she wrote on Aug. 18.
The post included 14 photos, the last of which was of her friend relaxing on a couch with a Michael Myers mask from the “Halloween” horror films.
Atienza’s family announced her passing in an emotional Instagram message on Friday.
TMZ was the first to report that she died at her LA home on Oct. 22 and that the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner listed her cause of death as suicide.
“It’s with deep sadness that we share the unexpected passing of our daughter and sister, Emman,” her parents announced. “She brought so much joy, laughter and love into our lives and into the lives of everyone who knew her.”
“Emman had a way of making people feel seen and heard, and she wasn’t afraid to share her own journey with mental health,” they continued alongside 20 photos of Atienza through the years. “Her authenticity helped so many feel less alone.”
“To honor Emman’s memory we hope you carry forward the qualities she lived by: compassion, courage, and a little extra kindness in your everyday life,” Atienza’s loved ones continued.
The late social media star’s father, Kuya Kim Atienza, is a Filipino TV host and weather anchor for TV Patrol. He previously served as councilor of the 5th District of Manila for three terms.
Atienza’s mother, Felicia Atienza, is a successful fitness guru.
Before her tragic passing this week, Atienza had amassed nearly one million TikTok followers and another 225,000 on Instagram. Her videos often provided fans with a close look at her wealthy lifestyle.
[Notigroup Newsroom in collaboration with other media outlets, with information from the following sources]
