To cover the late social media star's 'hospital bills and expenses,' his son Tex Kelly has set up a GoFundMe campaign which has since gained nearly $29,000.
- Aug 11, 2021
AceShowbiz - John Kelly has passed away. As confirmed by his son Tex Kelly, the TikTok star, who was famously known as "gentle giant" or "papa grizzly bear", has died suddenly. He was 45 years old.
"Dad's passing was a surprise to us all and something that we will be feeling the toll of for a very long time," Tex wrote on a GoFundMe campaign that has since gained nearly $29,000 to cover the late social media star's "hospital bills and expenses." He went on, "John Kelly lived an amazing life, full of hard work and love. He was never negative and as many of you have experienced personally with him, he was always someone you wanted to be around because he made you feel special and loved."
Tex did not reveal John's cause of death, but said he and his family, who are based in California, are "absolutely devastated." He told PEOPLE, "There was never a negative moment with him or a conversation that didn't end with 'I love you.' " He added, "Dad was 45 years old when he passed but I'll tell ya, that man lived it with no regrets and he made sure to get the most out of every day."
Tex also paid a lengthy heartfelt tribute to John, who's not his biological father, on his Instagram account. "You'll always be my hero dad," he penned alongside a series of throwback photos with his father. "I love and miss you so much. I know you're in a better place now, looking over us all. You were an amazing father, son, brother and friend to many."
The TikToker continued that he will "always cherish" moments with John. "You always believed in me," he said. "I'm proud to say that I'm John Kelly's son." He then concluded, "I'll never give up knowing I've got you in my corner. I love you dad, I'll see you in eternity."
John and Tex have nearly 3 million followers on TikTok. The father-son duo gained a massive following with endearing prank videos that featured Tex teasing Kelly, often by starting with, "Hey dad," then saying something silly and filming his reaction.
