Jean Pormanove’s mom defends streamers accused of “torturing” him as they attend funeral

Jean Pormanove’s mother has spoken out in defense of the two French streamers accused of subjecting her son to “torture” in the months leading up to his death, insisting they treated him well despite mounting criticism.

On August 18, Pormanove, real name Raphaël Graven, died at the age of 46 while live on Kick. His death followed what reports have described as “ten days of torture” during streams with fellow creators Owen ‘Naruto’ Cenazendotti and Safine Hamadi. Allegations include physical abuse, forced ingestion of substances, and sleep deprivation.

Nine days later, a small funeral service was held, with Naruto and Safine among roughly 30 attendees. There, Pormanove’s mother, Joelle, came to their defense.

“People are talking nonsense, and you shouldn’t listen to what they say,” she told The Daily Mail. “These are great people here. We have to do our best to help them as much as possible. They are really great people because Jean was able to do so much with them. They have values. JP was able to do things with them he wasn’t able to do back home.”

Joelle went further, disputing claims that the two were violent. “They never mistreated him except once in the gym. What happens in the live stream is in the live stream. What happens off the live stream is off the live stream. When they go home, they don’t take their work home with them.”

She praised the pair for giving her son what she described as a “good life,” adding, “I’m proud of them and I want to thank them for it. I’m not afraid to say it.”

Jean Pormanove investigation continues

While Pormanove’s mom has defended the duo, his sister called what he endured “unacceptable,” and shortly before his death, Pormanove messaged his mom saying he felt “held hostage” and was “fed up” with the streams.

Kick has banned Naruto and Safine as investigations continue. The platform also cut ties with a French marketing agency after backlash over promotional posts that used Pormanove’s likeness before his death.

Jean Pormanove

French police are still investigating. An autopsy found no signs of external or internal trauma, with toxicology tests expected to play a key role in determining the cause of death.

Naruto and Safine have denied wrongdoing, with their lawyers claiming the streams were scripted and that they bear “no responsibility” for Pormanove’s death.

The case has placed Kick under growing scrutiny. French officials have vowed to sue the Stake-backed platform for allowing “dangerous content” to broadcast unchecked, while regulators in Australia, where Kick is based, have warned fines could reach AUD $49.5 million if the site fails to enforce safety standards.