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Desmond Daniel Amofah [1] † (May 12, 1990 – c. June 24, 2019 [2] [aged 29]), better known as Etika, was an American YouTuber and live streamer. Desmond became known online for his enthusiastic reactions to Super Smash Bros. character trailers and Nintendo Direct presentations and for playing and reacting to various games. He resided in the Brooklyn borough of New York City, and his father is the Ghanaian politician Owuraku Amofah.
Starting his online career in 2007, Desmond created his main YouTube channel, "EWNetwork" (Etika World Network), in 2012. His fanbase was dubbed the "JOYCONBOYZ" in reference to the Nintendo Switch controller, the Joy-Con. He garnered popularity following the release of Super Smash Bros. 4, primarily stemming from his reaction videos of news surrounding the game. His content consisted of playthroughs of various video games, reaction videos, and pre-recorded material. Across his multiple YouTube channels, he amassed over 1 million subscribers and 146 million views.
Between October 2018 and May 2019, Desmond demonstrated signs of mental distress, threatening to commit suicide on multiple occasions, and was hospitalized several times. During this period, Desmond uploaded pornography to the EWNetwork channel, resulting in its termination; he then posted statements on social media alluding to suicide. After apologizing, Desmond created another channel, "EtikaFRFX", which was terminated for identical reasons. He proceeded to display erratic behavior publicly, including posting cryptic messages online and streaming himself being detained by the police.
Desmond was reported missing on June 20, 2019, after an apologetic video was uploaded to his "TR1Iceman" channel. After recovering his body from the East River near the Manhattan Bridge, officials confirmed Desmond's death on June 25, finding it to be a suicide by drowning. Desmond's death was met with expressions of shock and grief by fans and fellow YouTubers, with some observers commenting that the signs of Desmond's mental deterioration were either dismissed or ignored. Commemorations were held to honor Desmond's career as a gaming personality, including fan-made memorials and murals.
Desmond Daniel Amofah was born on May 12, 1990, in the Brooklyn borough of New York, to Owuraku Amofah, a Ghanaian politician and lawyer from Kibi, and Sabrina Amofah. His father was based in Ghana in the 1990s as a member of the Parliament of Ghana from 1992 to 1996. After a misunderstanding with Ghanaian president Jerry Rawlings, he moved to the United States to become a Magistrate Judge before returning to Ghana in 2013. [3] Desmond rarely mentioned his relationship with his father. He had an older brother, Randy Amofah, who died in 2010 from an asthma attack after a sandstorm in Accra, Ghana. [4] He also had a half-brother, Cardinal Valery, who ventured into online video creation following his death. Cardinal has faced controversy from Desmond's fanbase, including being accused of exploiting Desmond's death for personal monetary gain.
Based in New York, Desmond primarily resided in Brooklyn. Prior to his career as a gaming YouTuber, Desmond was active in modeling and rapping, having uploaded rap videos from 2007 to 2009 under the name "Iceman". [5] He also released an independently-produced mixtape titled Written in Ice in 2007. [6] Desmond started modeling in his early twenties and continued until 2015. He owned an account on the modeling and social media website Model Mayhem, where he stated he was "quite tall" and that his last measurement of height was "six feet, six inches". [7] Desmond also dealt with homelessness, temporarily living in a shelter after quitting his job at Uniqlo to become a full-time YouTuber.
Desmond stated in a tweet that the pseudonym "Etika" came from the 2003 video game Sonic Battle. In the game, players could input a cheat code titled "EkiTa"; he decided to switch the T and the K to create his username as he "liked that result better". He was inspired to grow a hi-top fade from Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas, which featured the hairstyle in the game.
Having previously used the YouTube account "TR1Iceman", Desmond created a new YouTube account under the username "EWNetwork" (Etika World Network) in 2012 to broadcast his gaming and reaction streams. Prior to the termination of the channel in 2018, he amassed more than 800,000 subscribers, reaching 100,000 subscribers in 2015. Within months of creating a replacement YouTube channel, "EtikaFRFX", he had gained 300,000 subscribers, and reached over 130,000 subscribers on his "TR1Iceman" channel. In total, Desmond accumulated over 1 million subscribers and 146 million views across his multiple YouTube channels. [8]
Desmond's content was mainly Nintendo-focused. Initially centered around gaming news, his video output evolved to a focus on Let's Play videos of Nintendo games alongside reaction videos of gaming announcements, such as Nintendo Direct presentations. Desmond's reaction videos were noted for their characteristic exaggerated and energetic style; they typically featured moments such as him falling out of his chair in elated shock and tossing objects around his room. Desmond's channel garnered popularity in 2014 due to his reaction videos covering new information about the then-unreleased fighting game Super Smash Bros. 4. One of his most notable reactions to the game was to the announcement of Pokémon character Mewtwo's inclusion as a DLC fighter; during the reaction, Desmond excitedly screams "Mewtwo!" with several profanities, in particular "Holy shit" and "My dick!" The video became Desmond's most viewed video on EWNetwork, with it being retweeted by the creator of the game, Masahiro Sakurai. A similar video where Desmond reacted to the announcement of Super Smash Bros. Ultimate also went viral in 2018. [9] Desmond's channel continued to grow in popularity as he made more videos centered around his reactions to gaming news and YouTube drama; according to him, he was earning over $300,000 a year through his internet career. Despite his earnings, Desmond revealed in a June 2017 video that he had dealt with multiple "chargebacks", or "fake donations" of large amounts of money sent to his PayPal account, which resulted in Desmond being charged with hundreds of dollars in processing fees.
Desmond dubbed his fans the "JOYCONBOYZ", after the Nintendo Switch controllers known as the Joy-Con. The origin of the name came from a viral livestream in November 2016 where Desmond purported to have a Nintendo Switch console before its 2017 release. After the stream came under scrutiny by viewers, it was revealed that the model Desmond displayed was 3D-printed by fellow YouTuber "Sandqvist" at his request, following a pre-recorded video Desmond uploaded titled "Life with Nintendo Switch" featuring the fake console. Desmond would frequently end his videos with his signature catchphrase "Take care of yourselves, and of course, as usual, please have yourself a damn good one". In Japan, Desmond was commonly referred to as "Guile-kun" in reference to his hairstyle, which resembled the character Guile from the fighting game Street Fighter. Though he primarily focused on Nintendo-related content, Desmond uploaded playthroughs of video games from multiple publishers, such as Call of Duty, Overwatch, and Doki Doki Literature Club!, and was also a fan of games such as Final Fantasy VII and Minecraft. Desmond enjoyed anime and Japanese culture, frequently streaming himself watching series such as Attack on Titan while providing commentary. [10]
―Desmond after his first channel termination
During the last months of his life, Amofah publicly demonstrated erratic behavior and signs of mental distress, which drew media attention while concerning both his fans and the YouTube community. On October 23, 2018, Desmond was temporarily suspended from Twitter for using the word n*gga in a tweet. He responded to the suspension by uploading a video of himself frequently saying the word and defending himself for using it. During the video, Desmond asserted that the word had been embraced among black people and should no longer be considered a racial slur. Desmond also mentioned rappers Travis Scott and Drake, who use the word in their songs. Two days later, Desmond uploaded pornography to EWNetwork, which violated YouTube's policies and consequently led to the channel's termination. Following the termination of the channel, Desmond posted cryptic messages to social media, including the statement "it's my turn to die", coupled with a screenshot of his terminated account. Several of his followers felt that the messages and posts were suicidal, which quickly generated panic among his fanbase. Inactive for three days after the incident, Desmond checked into a mental hospital where he claimed he was examined by doctors and given anxiety medication. He later apologized on his subreddit r/EtikaRedditNetwork. Desmond also cited issues with YouTube's rules as one of the main factors for shutting down his channel, claiming on Twitter that he purposefully deleted the account "as a form of protesting against edgy content demonetization and PC policy". Soon after the incident, Desmond was banned from Twitch for using the word f*ggot during a stream; he had read a conversation between him and a streamer which contained the word. [12]
After the termination of his first YouTube account, Desmond created a new channel in October 2018 called "EtikaFRFX", which he explained would comprise more sincere content where "he would be more himself". Although Desmond's new channel initially grew in popularity, the channel was terminated in April 2019 after Desmond again posted pornographic material. Following said termination, Desmond posted several tweets related to suicide, the first one stating "Savonarola! I'm going to kill myself! You lot certainly have already. Shame on you all, silly humans". He then tweeted he would kill himself by shooting himself in the head. This tweet subsequently led to his detainment and hospitalization. Christine "Alice Pika" Cardona, who had dated Desmond from 2011 to 2017, confirmed that she was with him when he was taken to the hospital. Days later, Desmond posted a photoshopped picture of himself holding a gun, which Cardona later confirmed was fake. After his detainment, Desmond tweeted an apology on April 25, explaining his behavior as dark shock humor.
Desmond continued to display erratic behavior throughout the rest of April. On April 29, after tweeting a vast quantity of cryptic messages, including homophobic and anti-semitic slurs which he later deleted, he blocked close friends of his and other YouTubers. Later that day, he livestreamed himself being detained by police from his apartment to over 19,000 viewers on Instagram Live, after a concerned fan notified police about his tweets. Before his detainment, Desmond alternated between recording his reaction to the officers and the street outside which was surrounded by police vehicles, while refusing to allow officers to enter his apartment. Throughout the stream, he expressed his fear over the situation. Desmond also shouted phrases and quotes from his apartment window, including "The Revolution Will Not Be Televised". Lasting for 45 minutes and resulting in Desmond trending on Twitter, the stream culminated in the police escorting Desmond out of his apartment, after which he was carried on a stretcher and taken to a Brooklyn hospital in an ambulance. Desmond was soon released from the hospital, posting a picture of himself holding a release form which revealed his diagnosis of agitation. [13] [14]
A day after the stream, Desmond was interviewed by the host of Internet news show DramaAlert, Daniel "Keemstar" Keem. In the interview, Desmond made various statements primarily referencing death and his views on the world, at one point mentioning that he was the "antichrist" and that he wanted to "purge all life". Keem questioned whether Desmond's actions leading up to the interview were publicity stunts, and if Desmond had a genuine mental breakdown. Denying that his actions were a publicity stunt, Desmond later claimed that life was a "video game" and that "death means nothing"; Keem then asked Desmond if life is a simulation, "then why live. Just jump off a cliff? If it's just a simulation, who cares?" The interview climaxed with Desmond and Keem arguing for several minutes before Desmond abruptly left; Keem stated that Desmond blocked him on Twitter shortly after their call. The same day, Desmond posted a livestream of himself consuming raw eggs while making monkey noises, and then playing Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. [15]
Following the interview, Desmond was detained again on May 1 for assaulting a police officer. Recorded on video, the altercation showed Desmond approaching the officer and raising his middle fingers before pushing the officer, who retaliated by attempting to hit Desmond. He was not arrested for the incident but instead taken to a hospital, as confirmed by a tweet from Cardona. Detained for two weeks, Desmond was released on May 14 and continued making reaction videos on his TR1Iceman channel; he also claimed that the officer had attacked him in response to his gesture, and that he had hit the police officer in self-defense. His last videos included reactions to the Sonic the Hedgehog film and Black Mirror along with Nintendo Direct presentations. [16]
Desmond's erratic behavior around this time was perceived by a significant portion of the online world as humorous in nature, rather than indicative of genuine mental ailment. The video in which Desmond assaulted a police officer was posted online with the caption "LMFAOOOOOOOO", with the clip featuring witnesses to the event laughing. On social media, many viewers mocked his behavior by spamming clown emojis. Among his fanbase, rumors circulated that Desmond's various controversies formed part of an alternate reality game, with such rumors emerging from a stream Desmond posted in September 2017 and becoming more prominent following his first channel termination.
―Etika discusses the negative effect social media had on him
At midnight on June 20, 2019, a pre-recorded video titled "I'm sorry" was uploaded to Desmond's TR1Iceman channel. In the video, Desmond walks through the streets of New York City talking about his mental health and suicidal thoughts along with the negative aspects of social media. He apologizes for pushing people away from him while also advising caution towards the overuse of social media. The video's description contained an apologetic note written by Desmond that expressed a similar sentiment. YouTube soon removed the video for violating its Community Guidelines, although the video was later reposted to other outlets. After leaving some of his personal belongings on the pedestrian walkway, Desmond jumped from the Manhattan Bridge and drowned. [18]
Desmond was reported missing to the New York City Police Department (NYPD) the day after the "I'm sorry" video was uploaded. Shortly after his disappearance, fellow Internet personalities and his fans tried reaching out to him to offer help and show their appreciation for his work over the years. A tweet Desmond had posted on June 2 where he asked when his next mental breakdown should occur received notice amid his disappearance. Desmond's belongings were soon discovered on the pedestrian walkway of the Manhattan Bridge. They included a backpack, wallet, laptop bag, cell phone, a change of clothes, and a Nintendo Switch. [19]
On the evening of June 24, a body was observed near Pier 16 at the South Street Seaport, approximately half a mile (0.8 km) down the East River from where Desmond's belongings were recovered, and reported to the NYPD. By the morning of June 25, the NYPD and emergency medical services had recovered the body, confirmed it was Desmond, and stated that he was dead at the point of discovery. [20] The following day, the Office of Chief Medical Examiner confirmed the cause of death was suicide by drowning. He was 29 years old. [21] [22]
Following the announcement of his death, Desmond became the top trending topic on Twitter worldwide as many of his fans posted tributes for him. Several YouTubers also offered their condolences to Desmond on social media. Felix Kjellberg, known as PewDiePie, was one of the first YouTubers to post a tribute to Desmond, stating in a tweet, "Hard to grasp that he's actually gone, left us way too soon. You will continue to live on in our hearts. Rest in peace Etika". Beauty YouTuber James Charles expressed on Twitter: "My heart is so so heavy hearing this news. I hope that the community FINALLY realizes that creators are human beings with real, valid feelings". The official "YouTube Creators" Twitter account posted a tribute to Desmond: "We mourn the loss of Etika, a beloved member of our gaming creator community". Rapper Lil Nas X also shared his condolences, stating that he "didn't know Desmond very well" but did know that he "inspired many and made a lot of people very happy". Other personalities who offered condolences included Keem, DanTDM, and SonicFox. Twomad credited Desmond as being a major influence and inspiration to him, he was his favourite YouTuber and wanted to be just like him.
The circumstances surrounding Desmond's death prompted discussions on social media about dealing with mental health as a content creator. In an article from The Verge, internet personalities such as Asmongold and CoryxKenshin lamented how the negativity targeted towards content creators can be detrimental to their well-being, and that people who leave negative remarks on social media do so with the perception that online content creators are immune to such criticism, due to their ability to make money online. Doctor of internal medicine Alan Bunney echoed similar sentiments, also claiming that struggles with mental health have been "increasingly common" in content creation. Fiona Nova, content creator and friend of Desmond, also condemned his fans on Twitter for disregarding his mental health struggles as jokes, while Cardona stated that Desmond was often attracted to the vitriol he received. [23] [24]
Desmond's death also highlighted social media platforms' handling of posts by users who appear at risk of mental illness or who are contemplating suicide. YouTube, in removing Desmond's final video, stated that removal of such videos is standard practice to "reduce the potential for copycat acts of self-harm, videos that express suicidal ideation" and that as part of this, it sends information to users relating to national suicide hotlines to provide help. The website also offered resources regarding mental health concerns among creators, such as courses and videos. However, Desmond's situation was noted as emblematic of YouTube's passive approach to aiding creators in coping with the pressures of content creation. [25]
Journalists and mental health researchers found several videos Desmond had posted that showed evidence of his troubled state but were construed as jokes by some of his viewers. As a result, some perceived Desmond's final video as another joke and disregarded any concern over his well-being. Keem initially thought Desmond's final video was a premeditated publicity stunt, stating after Desmond's death, "I was never fully convinced that he was mentally ill or in trouble because of our private convos". Such researchers suggested that Desmond's situation reflected the need for more research on the effects of social media on content creators' mental health. [26]
Keem briefly became a target of some of Desmond's fans, who blamed him for Desmond's suicide due to the DramaAlert interview and statements made in tweets before and following the interview. Keem later posted screenshots of a series of texts allegedly sent to him by Desmond's mother Sabrina, which stated that "Etika loved Keemstar's show" and had only wanted to make a memorable appearance on it; Cardona also confirmed the veracity of the texts. He also shared that Desmond's mother encouraged fans to donate to mental health organizations instead of the family for funeral costs. Despite Sabrina's alleged defense of Keem, he was later accused of influencing Desmond's death in a May 2020 video by internet personality Ethan Klein. Klein also referred to the allegation on the Frenemies podcast while discussing Desmond. In response, Keem stated: "His mother came out with a statement saying that I am in no way responsible for the tragic loss of Etika, and he's still doing it. He just made this big rant and said stuff that I have never said". Keem also claimed that Desmond's friends and family had told Klein to stop using Desmond's suicide to attack him. Along with his other controversies, the video resulted in Keem ending his sponsorship with the energy drink company G Fuel.
Desmond's death led to numerous tributes across social media honoring his career. In December 2019, The New York Times Magazine published an article acknowledging Desmond's impact as a YouTuber, with writer Jamie Lauren Keiles noting that his content's appeal "had always been figuring out which parts were real", and that he "was himself until the end". The same month, Kotaku included Desmond in their list of the top gamers of the year, remarking that his death prompted many of his fans and other internet personalities to discuss the impact of social media on mental health. BBC News listed the news of Desmond's death as one of the biggest technology stories of 2019, noting the various commemorations of him throughout the year; writer Leo Kelion stated that "Etika's claim in his final video that 'this world's gonna forget me' shows no sign of coming true any time soon". In an article from NBC News, esports journalist Rod Breslau avowed that Desmond "will go down as one of [the] greatest entertainers in video game history".
In the aftermath of Desmond's suicide, both fans and YouTubers on social media asked for YouTube to re-upload Desmond's final video to help memorialize him. A Change.org petition, which also asked for Desmond's original channel to be restored to preserve his legacy, was started and garnered 370,000 signatures. Another Change.org petition which reached over two million signatures called for Desmond to be buried at YouTube headquarters, which he stated was his wish during an earlier livestream; however, this was considered unlikely to occur due to private land regulations. YouTube also attracted criticism for not including a tribute to Desmond in the 2019 installment of YouTube Rewind. PewDiePie later uploaded his own version of the video titled "YouTube Rewind 2019, but it's actually good", which featured a homage to Desmond among other deceased content creators in 2019.
Several days after his death, fans erected a memorial on Desmond's behalf on the pedestrian walkway of the Manhattan Bridge, leaving letters, fan art, Twizzlers (a candy Desmond enjoyed), Nintendo-related products, and other memorabilia. Various fans changed their social media profile pictures to resemble Desmond's channel logo, alongside posting pictures of themselves with tattoos of his logo. A Twitter account, "Memories of Etika," was also established in dedication of Desmond.
In the Super Smash Bros. community, an online tournament was held as a tribute to Desmond featuring the antagonist Ridley from the video game series Metroid, a character Desmond often played. Posthumously, he was awarded the "Best Reaction" award at the 3rd Annual Smashies Awards which took place at Super Smash Con 2019. Fans of Desmond later pointed out on social media that the second DLC Fighter Pass for Super Smash Bros. Ultimate contains several characters Desmond had expressed a strong liking towards – including Pyra and Mythra from Xenoblade Chronicles 2 and Min Min from Arms – following the February 2021 Nintendo Direct, leading Desmond to trend on Twitter.
In addition to tributes, various fundraisers for mental health charities came to fruition following Desmond's death. YouTuber and web designer Abe Hunter, along with YouTuber Double-A, converted Desmond's website into a fundraiser site where 100% of the profits were to be donated to National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) in Desmond's name. They raised $11,315.25 in total, which Hunter donated to the NAMI on July 15, 2019. Several days later on July 21, 2019, PewDiePie along with American actor Jack Black started a fundraiser on the crowdfunding website GoFundMe for the NAMI. PewDiePie and Black streamed themselves playing Minecraft together to raise money for their fundraiser, with the former donating $10,000 and the stream raising over $30,000. The YouTube group "im salt", a channel that posted highlight clips from Desmond's livestreams, also organized a charity stream which raised over $3,000.
After raising money for charity, Abe Hunter and Double-A worked with mural artist BK Foxx and graffiti artists Kestaadm and JMZWalls to create a 40-feet-long mural dedicated to Desmond in Bushwick, Brooklyn. Completed on November 6, 2019, the mural was created to celebrate Desmond's life and to help bring awareness to mental health issues. Dutch YouTuber Reversal, who was friends with Desmond, organized a campaign with his 350,000 fans for the company Niantic to add the mural's location as a virtual "PokéStop" in the augmented reality game Pokémon Go in memory of Desmond. The mural was added to the game in February 2020. Abe Hunter, Double A and BK Foxx would organize another mural in dedication of Desmond in October 2022. [27]
Note: The following dates are according to Social Blade . Dates may vary by one or two days due to differences in time zones.
