Siya Kakkar, 16-year-old TikTok and Instagram influencer, passed away this week in what local police are calling a suicide. She died in her home on June 25.
Siya's TikTok account had over 2 million followers. She had multiple videos with over one million views. Her content was usually the kind of thing TikTok is known for: lighthearted dance videos or lip syncs to popular songs. A portion of her posts were also challenges and comedy scenes. Siya's most recent video, a video of her lip-syncing on a rooftop, was posted just two days ago.
Since her passing, Siya's manager, Arjun Sarin, has engaged the public about what happened. According to India Today, Sarin says the two spoke on the phone the night before her death, and "she sounded normal". Police have seized the young woman's phone and are reportedly attempting to gain access and search for potential motivations behind her suicide, as there was no suicide note. They're also interrogating friends and family members for any information that would have led to Siya's death, and it was mentioned that Siya struggled with depression in the days leading to up to this tragedy. Meanwhile, her family is understandably in shock and isn't currently speaking with media.
By all accounts, Siya's career was doing well. Her follower counts across all platforms were increasing and she was involved with multiple paid sponsorships. Judging by the outpouring of emotional reactions, and the tens of thousands of comments (and counting) on her videos, Siya connected with many people personally. On her Instagram page, most of her posts get fewer than a thousand comments. Her final post, another lip-syncing/dancing video currently has over 20 thousand comments, most of which are "RIP" and heart emoji. Indian celebrities have also spoken out, voicing their condolences for Siya's family. Her manager posted "No more words. You will always be the best artist," as a caption alongside a photo of her reading "RIP".
There's, of course, rampant speculation about the circumstances that drove Siya to suicide. Many people online suggest she was over-worked or stressed by the demands of her career. Some have also implied she was cyberbullied. The important takeaway though is that her death has triggered a wave of supporters urging people to seek help and a confidant if they're suffering from mental illness or thoughts of suicide. These kinds of tragedies hopefully serve to remind people that a smile doesn't always mean a person is okay.
Source: India Today
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