John Crawley, aka TikTok’s ‘KingBeardX,’ won over millions with his wit and iconic beard. He died aged 47 after a tough ICU battle, leaving fans heartbroken as they pay tribute

Crawley “went to hospital” after having “trouble breathing”(Image: Facebook)

TikTok sensation John Crawley – better known to his legion of fans as KingBeardX – has tragically passed away at the age of 47, after receiving intensive care treatment during his final days.

Crawley, who had built a huge following of more than 3.5 million fans across TikTok and Instagram, was known for his comedy videos and trademark long beard.

News of his death was confirmed by his close friend and former podcast co-host, Anthony Caruso, who shared the heartbreaking update on a GoFundMe page set up to cover Crawley’s rising medical costs.

“I’m really sorry to tell everyone the bad news but Pimpmunkx (KingBeardx) passed away yesterday,” he wrote in a sombre post on Tuesday, before thanking supporters for their generous contributions.

Crawley’s health had deteriorated rapidly earlier this month, and he had been placed in the ICU in Mississippi.

His condition was described as “quite unstable”, with friends and family deeply concerned.

Fans of the star have shared their condolences (Image: Facebook)

“He went to the hospital; he was having trouble breathing,” Anthony wrote, citing a family member.

“Doctors put him on a ventilator… we went past 66% (O2 levels) and he stopped breathing.

They (put him into the ICU and) brought it back up to 100% (O2 levels). He just had a tube placed in his chest… his breathing condition is still very bad.”

At the time, Caruso also revealed Crawley was uninsured and the main breadwinner for his family.

The fundraiser, which had a goal of $31,574, was based on US National Library of Medicine estimates for average ICU care costs.

“John is currently in the ICU (Intensive Care Unit) located in the state of Mississippi, USA, and is struggling to breathe,” Caruso posted on August 4.

Crawley posted comedy videos to his social media pages(Image: Facebook)

“John is the main breadwinner for his family, and unfortunately, he doesn’t have medical insurance.”

In his update following Crawley’s passing, Caruso added that the GoFundMe would now continue “to support fundraising a funeral/helping John’s mother,” and passed on a message from Crawley’s mum who said to “thank you all.”

Heartbroken fans took to X (formerly Twitter) as the news spread online.

“It is so sad,” one person wrote. “I hope it isn’t real!”

Another devastated follower added: “I’ll miss his irreplicable [sic] sense of acerbic humor, and will forever curse that he didn’t outlive TBob.

Such an amazing creator and comedian, and it’s so tragic to see him go.”