Internet Sensation Keenan Cahill Dead At 27, Fans Mourn YouTuber Who Rose To Fame With Lip Sync Videos
YouTuber Keenan Cahill has sadly died at the age of 27, a family spokesperson confirmed on December 30, RadarOnline.com has learned.
He passed away at 2 PM on Thursday, December 29, at Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital.
The internet sensation, born in Illinois, was loved by many after gracing the internet with his charming lip sync videos.
Fans watched him rise to fame, meeting several notable stars over the years including Katy Perry, Jennifer Aniston, 50 Cent, and Justin Bieber. He also appeared on E!'s former talk show program, Chelsea Lately.
Cahill was open about having a rare genetic disorder which affected the way he looks, revealing that he had Maroteaux Lamy Syndrome. Known complications include heart abnormalities and a shortened lifespan.
"I think I have brought awareness to [the disease]," Cahill told ABC News in 2010. "A lot of people don't know about it."
He had already undergone a number of surgeries at that point, including brain stem surgery.
"Yeah, that was pretty big," he said of the procedure. "But I've had a lot done to me — hip surgery, a lot of lower surgeries, my hips and my knees."
"I don't talk much about my future," he added. "I just will wait and see what happens."
DAILY. BREAKING. CELEBRITY NEWS. ALL FREE.
The social media personality last posted on Instagram a few weeks ago that he was having open-heart surgery on December 15, under which fans are now sharing their condolences.
"Core YouTube childhood memories from you. Fly free in the eternal sky," one heartbroken fan wrote amid the devastating news. "You were such a bright light in this world," another echoed in the comments.
His cause of death is unknown at this time.
Cahill had a big following of 720k subscribers on YouTube before his untimely passing.
"I did it to put myself out there and to see what would happen and where it would go," Cahill shared about his dreams to succeed when he was a sophomore in high school, revealing his creative venture began after he got a Mac computer with a webcam.
His final video post was earlier this month.
"Keenan is a pioneer in social media, becoming one of the first YouTube Influencer's amassing more than 500 million views on his channel and over 1 billion across multiple platforms, traditional media, and live appearances," a rep shared in a statement.