John West, Beloved Influencer with Autism, Dies After a ‘Long History of Medical Issues’

The internet personality’s sister, Des, shared the news in a series of heartbreaking tributes on May 31

John West, a beloved content creator known for sharing his experience with autism, has died, his sister shared on social media.

“John recently passed away from natural causes💔 UNTIL WE MEET AGAIN MR. WEST🕊️🖤” West’s sister, known online as “Des,” captioned an Instagram post on May 31. “thank you to everyone that reached out. I appreciate everyone!”

Des — who shares her family life to over 1.4 million followers across Instagram and TikTok — said in 2024 that she gained custody of West after he allegedly received improper care in his previous living situation. Over the next two years, she shared frequent updates chronicling his life as an adult with autism, documenting his adventures in dating and the silliness of everyday life.

In a subsequent post, Des shared that West had “faced a number of serious health challenges” and had a “long history of medical issues,” including “severe dental infections that had gone untreated for decades,” blood in his urine, and “ongoing” kidney issues.

“Many of you are new here and may have assumed that John was simply a healthy man with autism, but that wasn’t the case,” she added. “I chose to share the positive parts of his life and journey because not every hardship or medical issue needed to be made public. There was much more to his story than what people saw online.”

In a touching post after the news of West’s death, Des shared a video singing in the car with West, writing in the caption, “Dear Brother, Thank you for the last 2½ years of making my life brighter, funnier, and better. You will be missed every day. I just know you’re in God’s arms now, keeping him busy and asking a million and one questions with your curiosity😫❤️”

In the comments of her posts, fans shared touching tributes to the late internet star.

“My deepest condolences. He was so loved 😢💔” penned one.

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“Thankful you shared his life with us and we all got to experience his joy,” wrote another.

“I can’t believe he’s gone 💔😢,” shared a third. “So sorry for your loss.”