A French streamer has denied responsibility for the death of his co-host during a live broadcast, a case that has ignited debate between the French government and streaming platform Kick over the dangers of extreme online stunts.
“I’m not the one who killed him. None of us killed him,” Safine Hamadi told the News.
Hamadi, 23, was one of the presenters on the Kick channel where 46-year-old Raphael Graven, known online as Jean Pormanove, died in mid-August.
An autopsy ordered by prosecutors in Nice has since ruled out any “third-party intervention” in Graven’s death.
Hamadi strongly rejected allegations of abuse, stating that all actions during the 12-day livestream were consensual. The broadcasts reportedly showed Graven enduring physical challenges and humiliation from other participants.
“I wasn’t mistreating him, not at all,” Hamadi said, explaining that the dramatic reactions were staged for entertainment. “We wanted it to be spectacular, and his reactions were exaggerated so people would clip the videos, talk about us, and create more buzz.”
According to Hamadi, both he and Graven were paid €6,000 ($7,040) per month as “actors” by the channel’s operator, Owen Cenazandotti.
Authorities detained both Hamadi and Cenazandotti in late 2024 after widespread media coverage of the channel’s content, but they were released without charge. Prosecutors confirmed that Graven and another participant had denied being victims of violence and supported claims that the stunts were scripted.
Despite this, the French government has filed legal action against Kick, citing alleged negligence in connection with Graven’s death. The Australia-based platform dismissed the move, accusing officials of political opportunism.
Meanwhile, Paris prosecutors have opened a separate investigation into the streaming service.
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