Safine Hamadi says he didn’t cause the death of Jean Pormanove during a Kick livestream, as France opens legal action against the platform

Safine Hamadi Kick death controversy is intensifying, as the French streamer publicly denied any role in the on-air death of fellow broadcaster Raphael Graven—known online as Jean Pormanove—during a 12-day livestream filled with staged conflict and humiliation.

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Speaking to RTL on Monday, Hamadi stated bluntly, “I’m not the one who killed him. None of us killed him.” The 23-year-old said that what viewers saw was performance, not abuse.

“Everything was consensual,” he said, insisting that Graven’s reactions were exaggerated to drive engagement.

Graven, 46, died in mid-August during the livestream, which was broadcast on the controversial platform Kick, known for pushing the boundaries of online content.

An autopsy has ruled out foul play or third-party involvement in his death.

Hamadi claims that he and Graven were paid €6,000 each per month as “actors” by the channel’s operator, Owen Cenazandotti. He maintained that the content was meant to be provocative:

“We wanted it to be spectacular… so people would clip the videos, talk about us, create more buzz.”

Still, the broadcast drew criticism for featuring physical confrontations and scenes that many viewers considered degrading.

Despite this, prosecutors say both Graven and another participant denied being victims of violence and affirmed that the episodes were scripted.

The controversy has triggered a wider conversation in France about platform responsibility and the ethics of monetized shock content.

The French government last week announced legal action against Kick, citing “negligence” in moderating extreme content that may have contributed to Graven’s death.

Kick, headquartered in Australia, pushed back, accusing the French government of political opportunism.

Although both Hamadi and Cenazandotti were briefly taken into custody in late 2024, they were released without charge. Paris prosecutors have now opened a separate investigation into Kick’s operations.

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The case has ignited debate over the blurred lines between performance and abuse in digital entertainment—and who should be held accountable when things go tragically wrong.