Australian YouTube star known as ‘Pretty Pastel Please,’ has died unexpectedly at the age of 30, according to a statement shared on her Instagram page on Friday.
The post revealed the social media star, whose real name is Alexandra or ‘Alex’, died ‘suddenly’ last month.
Alex had a massive following on Instagram and YouTube, where she shared her product reviews and travel videos
Alex’s family said her death had come as a ‘shock’ and a memorial on YouTube and Instagram will be posted for her fans.
Sharing a picture of Alex and her pet parrot Archie, the post read:
“We come to you today with a devastating announcement.”
“It is with a heavy heart that we must inform you that Alex, known to many as Pretty Pastel Please, has passed away.”
“Her passing was sudden, unexpected, and devastating to all who knew her. This is a shock to us all, and her family and friends have requested privacy as they navigate their grief. “
“We would ask that you respect their wishes – they appreciate all of your support but need time to heal in private.”
“A memorial will be posted on YouTube and here on Instagram in due course. Thank you for understanding in this difficult time.”
“If you or anyone you know is affected by this news, please reach out for help. You are not alone.”
“In Australia, you can contact Beyond Blue at 1300 22 46 36 for confidential, free counselling.”
Several fans noted cruel online trolls had targeted Alex in recent years.
One said her personal life had been the subject of cruel ‘speculation’ on Reddit
Another said trolls had “stomped out her light because they were jealous.”
The Daily Mail reported:
In April 2023, she shared a cryptic post about removing herself from a situation that was ‘slowly killing her.’
“What a difference 5 months makes, when you remove yourself from a situation that was slowly killing you,”she wrote along two pictures of herself.
While Alex had a huge fanbase of devoted fans, she addressed her struggles with online trolling over the years in a series of heartbreaking posts.
She said she found it hard to deal with all the ‘hurtful’ remarks she received online and called on people to be kinder.
“I’ll admit it now, I don’t handle criticism well. I’m not cut out to handle reading negative things about myself,” she wrote in a December 2022 post.
“I can see a thousand positive comments and forget them all the moment someone says they don’t like me.”
“Ten thousand people can tell me they think I’m beautiful, but if ten people call me ugly, my self-worth goes down the drain. No, I can’t handle it, but that doesn’t mean I can’t continue to have a presence online.”
Alex had been open about her struggles with her mental health and social media trolling in recent years.
“People say “you shouldn’t be a YouTuber if you can’t handle negative comments” but how about “YouTubers shouldn’t look at comments, because the things people say can be very hurtful?”‘
She told how ‘thousands’ of strangers on the internet had been cruelly ‘weighing in’ on her mental health after she ‘took some time away from the internet to heal’.
Addressing her change in content, Alex said her ‘highly curated’ persona Pretty Pastel Please was not a true reflection of herself, but represented her mental health struggles.
“The girl you came to know that spent thousands of dollars on fast fashion and pretended they were some sort of beauty guru was not actually Alex,” she shared.
Fans took to Instagram to share their condolences and messages of support following her death.
One wrote:
“My heart is in my stomach I’m so saddened by this news praying for her family. I can’t believe this. I loved her so much. She was my comfort person to watch.”
Another said:
“I…. can’t believe this. I don’t know how to process this and I just hope she gets to rest in peace. To Alex’s family, she was a light in so many people’s lives, including mine.”
“She deserved to live so much longer and to have a happy long life. Please don’t rush the memorial for us, take your time to grieve.”
“My heart is in my stomach I’m so saddened by this news praying for her family. I can’t believe this. I loved her so much she was my comfort person to watch,” one wrote.
Another said:
“I can’t believe this. I don’t know how to process this and I just hope she gets to rest in peace. To Alex’s family, she was a light in so many people’s lives, including mine.”
“She deserved to live so much longer and to have a happy long life. Please don’t rush the memorial for us, take your time to grieve.”
