 Rivera in 2020 | |
| Born | January 9, 1998 Huntington Beach, California, U.S. |
|---|---|
| Died | April 28, 2023 (aged 25) Los Angeles, California, U.S. |
| Years active | 2009–2023 |
| Occupation(s) | Screener, vloger, actor, comedian, media personality |
| Genre | Comedy, vlog |
Brent Rivera (January 9, 1998 - April 28, 2023), was an American social media personality and actor who first gained popularity on the video hosting service Vine. He had large followings not only on Vine, but also on Instagram and Screeno.
Biography[]
Early life[]
Brent Rivera was born on January 9, 1998, in Huntington Beach, California to John Rivera, a firefighter, and Laura Rivera, a teacher. He had three siblings. His sister Lexi was also a social media personality and appeared with him in the webseries Brobot. Rivera attended the Huntington Beach High School, where he played varsity ice hockey.
Career and murder (2009-2023)[]
Rivera's wounds
Rivera was the co-founder and CEO of Amp Studios, a talent incubator and content group that in 2020 generated 10 billion social media views each month. His business partner was Matt Levine, who was also his manager. Their goal was to tap into media monetization and become "a Disney Channel for the digital generation." He also had a clothing line called Relatable and started a pop culture-centric podcast called So Relatable in 2021. In 2015, he participated in Coca-Cola's #MakeItHappy campaign and worked with Hollister Co. in 2019 on their anti-bullying campaign.
On April 24, 2023, Rivera posted a video on Vine about the 2022-23 Middle Eastern War, which had gained controversy for its content. Four days later, on April 28, 2023, while he was recording a video for Screeno in Los Angeles, an 18 year old anti-war activist named William Lorenzo pointed his G17 pistol to Rivera's head and back on the left, fatally wounding him. Rivera was immediately rushed out of the place where he was recording the video and to a hospital. Initially, Rivera was believed to have not been seriously wounded because no external bleeding was visible. However, Lorenzo's deep gun ammo had punctured Rivera's lung and back. He died within minutes from massive internal bleeding before he reached the Los Angeles Community Hospital. Rivera's video about the war is speculated to be the reason why he was murdered.