A TikTok creator reportedly died by suicide during a live stream over the weekend, igniting accusations of bullying and prompting some creators to step away from the platform.
The incident has sparked widespread grief and frank conversations about how disabled people are treated online, including within their own communities. raising questions about whether drama-driven spaces like “MessyTok” come at too high a cost.
TikToker dies by suicide on live
Over the weekend, @SincerelyNaija, better known as Rizzi or Rizi, died by suicide during a TikTok live event while she was staying in a mental health facility, according to multiple witnesses. Those who were online say that other TikTokers were making fun of or bullying Rizzi shortly before she passed away.
Her account has since been deleted.
The incident set off a firestorm, with users expressing horror, grief, and shock at what happened. Finger-pointing soon began, and among specific users who hosted the live event, many blamed the dynamics of MessyTok.
MessyTok or MessyTikTok first started trending in 2020 as a hashtag encouraging folks to expose cheating partners. As time went on, it expanded to include any and all videos that got deeply personal—the more drama, the better.
According to many TikTokers, MessyTok can easily devolve into bullying. Witnesses say that multiple people on the livestream were taunting and picking on Rizzi, with some even allegedly targeting her disabilities and encouraging her to take her own life.
“They mocked her, they made fun of her disabilities, and in the deepest cruelty, they told her to kill herself,” an online petition states. “This relentless bullying and cyber attacks led to a devastating loss, not only for her family and friends but for all of us who witnessed another life taken too soon by such heartless acts.”
The hashtag #messytok has over 170,000 videos under its belt, with many of the top posts currently addressing the Rizzi tragedy.
Who’s to blame?
Aside from the community at large, a few names came up as TikTokers sought to blame Rizzi’s death on specific individuals. These include the live event facilitators like @heartbreakerrrr_0 and @nosybystanders.
@littlescarystories #rip #riprizzi #sincerelynaija #messytiktok #tiktokdrama #tiktokerdeath #tiktokerpassesaway #tiktokerdies #mentalhealthmatters #mentalhealth #stoponlinebullyng ♬ Scary story piano occult horror(1021418) – yumi
TikToker @littlescarystories, who researched and summarized the incident and fallout, felt that Nosy deserves some of the blame, but said that Rizzi named three individuals before her death—”Candy, Heartbreaker, and a therapist who [sexually assaulted] her.”
“I don’t think Nosy was really directly responsible, but Nosy did have a live, and she did laugh at her and make fun of her,” she claimed. “I saw that.”
Many others reported that the alleged bullying was a group activity, but some pointed to the fact that Nosy has a particularly large platform, with over 800,000 followers, and interviewed Rizzi in the past. At least a couple videos we reviewed accused her specifically of bullying.
“She was definitely a part of the berating and the bullying of that girl who unfortunately unalived herself,” said @alracxx90, “all while knowing this young lady—if I’m not mistaken—that she was in a mental facility.”
In the caption, the TikToker wrote to Nosy that “you don’t deserve a platform after that.”
On Sunday, Nosy posted a video denying any culpability and announcing that she will be taking a break from TikTok indefinitely. “Somehow, there is a narrative being shaped that she was being cyberbullied by me,” said Nosy. “I want to make it very clear that I’ve only interviewed her one time.”
@nosybystanders ♬ original sound – NOSY
“I think it’s so dangerous—just absolutely dangerous—to spread narratives like that in regard to someone’s untimely passing.”
In her own breakdown, @alma_rose_ called Heartbreaker “the worst of them all,” alleging that this TikToker encouraged Rizzi toward suicide “multiple times.”
Heartbreaker’s account is currently set to private.
“It does not surprise me”
Rizzi’s death brought up the issue of cyberbullying, as suicide deaths often do. Popular TIkToker @theconsciouslee spoke out against those who encouraged the young woman to harm herself.
“There is an impact to how y’all talk to and about people on the internet,” he said. “And what I’ve learned in life is you don’t choose what echoes in somebody else’s head, and you damn sure don’t choose what echos in your head.”
@theconsciouslee Rest In Peace to Rizzi
♬ original sound – The Conscious Lee
Others discussed a larger issue with the disabled TikTok community. Communications expert and disability justice advocate Imani Barbarin (@crutches_and_spice) spoke on how self-hatred within this community can turn to violence, suggesting that some of those who targeted Rizzi were disabled themselves.
“There’s a certain type of disabled person who hates themselves so f*cking much … that will act as though their entire purpose in life is to be the conduit through which non-disabled people get to abuse disabled people to death,” she said.
“So no, it does not surprise me that a disabled person getting treatment in a mental health facility for that disability committed suicide at the hands and the actions, in part, of another disabled person.”
Barbarin linked this issue to the tendency for disabled people to either deny their disabilities or act as though they’ve “risen above” them instead of accepting their limitations. A 2022 study of disabled adults in South Korea found that those with low acceptance of their disabilities were 2.35 times more likely to have low-self esteem.
Multiple commenters relayed their own experiences with intercommunity bullying.
“The Deaf elites LOVE to bully Late Deaf people and tell us we are faking our deafness bc we weren’t born Deaf or lost our hearing as a child,” wrote @lamprajones. “I can tell you as Black Deaf woman, I’ve had interpreters refuse me service bc they were told I’m faking Deaf so now I just won’t ask anymore.”
The Daily Dot has reached out to @nosybystanders for comment via TikTok. @heartbreakerrrr_0 could not be reached.
For more information about suicide prevention or to speak with someone confidentially, contact the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline (U.S.) or Samaritans (U.K.).
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