According to a statement by his family, the Internet sensation, who was known for his lip-sync videos, passed away after suffering complications following an open heart surgery.
- Dec 31, 2022
AceShowbiz - The YouTube community is mourning the death of beloved star Keenan Cahill. The creator, who was known for his entertaining lip-sync videos, passed away on Thursday, December 29, according to his family. He was 27.
Keenan's aunt broke the news on a GoFundMe page which was set in the wake of the YouTuber's death. "We are devasted to announce that our nephew, Keenan Cahill, passed away on December 29th at the age of 27," Keenan's aunt wrote. "Twelve days earlier he had open heart surgery and was starting to recover, but complications arose that he couldn't overcome."
His aunt concluded the message, "He never made a lot of money, but he enjoyed what he was doing and brought smiles to the faces of so many people. Thank you to everyone that made Keenan's short life memorable. He will be missed by all who knew him."
Keenan was diagnosed with Maroteaux Lamy Syndrome at age one. The disease is described as a "progressive condition that causes many tissues and organs to enlarge, become inflamed or scarred, and eventually waste away (atrophy)." In his last Instagram post, the media personality told his fans that he would be undergoing open heart surgery. "Wish me luck," he wrote on December 15. "Love ya'll."
Among those who paid tribute to Keenan was "Jersey Shore" alum DJ Pauly D. Remembering the YouTube star, whom he worked with previously, the reality TV star wrote on Twitter, "Rip Keenan Thank You for always making the world smile."
He was frequently titled as one of the original YouTube stars. He first rose to fame back in 2010 when he started uploading videos of himself lip-syncing current hit songs. Originally known as BeenerKeeKee19952, he quickly became an Internet sensation as he collaborated with big celebrities such as Jennifer Aniston, Katy Perry, 50 Cent and Justin Bieber.
Not stopping there, Keenan also filmed a Smartwater commercial with the "Friends" alum in addition to performing live with David Guetta. His other credits included starring in Sara Bareilles' "Uncharted" space music video and teaming up with Ariana Grande. His YouTube channel has amassed more than 720,000 subscribers.
