Fitness influencer Adriana Thyssen was found dead in her apartment at the age of 49, sparking an outpouring of support from her followers as her family pleaded for compassion.
The Brazilian influencer, affectionately known as “Drika,” lost nearly 100 pounds in just over a year and sought to inspire others to choose a healthy lifestyle through her massive social media presence.
Thyssen’s body was found in his apartment on September 17.
At the time of her death, she had 1.7 million followers on Facebook and ran a sportswear and plus-size clothing brand called “Drikas Store”. The brand’s account had nearly 76,000 followers on Instagram.
Thyssen’s death was announced via an Instagram post on his clothing brand’s Instagram account. It simply read: “It is with deep sadness and regret that our team and family Blog da Drika and Drikas Store inform you of the death of our dear Drika.
“At this time of pain, we ask for everyone’s prayers and compassion.”
Adriana Thyssen was found dead in her apartment in Minas Gerais at the age of 49
She was known online as “Drika” and posted health and fitness content inspired by her own journey.
Thyssen began posting on social media in 2013 while battling addiction and depression.
She hoped her content would inspire others to adopt a similarly healthy lifestyle.
A woman claiming to be Thyssen’s cousin from São Paulo commented on the post. She said the influencer, as a public figure, had been bullied.
“She was strong for a long, long time. She always looked for love and only received crumbs,” wrote the woman, Amanda Lourenço.
“The haters have already done too much, so at this moment I ask everyone to show compassion, understanding and empathy.”
In a later comment, she implored people to consider the impact of their words and treat each other with kindness.
“Please continue to keep her in your prayers. This way she can find the peace she so desired (even if not in the right way),” she wrote.
“Take care of yourself, take care of those who are with you. Think before you say ANYTHING to others, because we don’t know what they are going through and your words can hurt a lot.
Thyssen is from Uberlândia in Minas Gerais, Brazil. She admitted that she had been overweight since she was a teenager.
In a welcome message to new followers, she wrote: “I started the fight on 02/18/13, I weighed 107 kg (236 lbs), I was not pregnant and I did not suffer any bariatric surgery. I was unemployed and, with my husband, I was in debt to the bank.
The influencer weighed nearly 240 pounds when she started her fitness journey
She also ran a sportswear and plus-size clothing brand called “Drikas Store”.
Thyssen’s cousin posted a message on Instagram, imploring people to be kind to her cousin and each other
Although the cause of death is unconfirmed, people claiming to be “online friends” of Thyssen have said she committed suicide.
She added that she had tried countless diets and was “chronically addicted to amphetamines for 18 years”, which led her into a spiral of depression and alcoholism.
At 39 years old, Thyssen decided to start her fitness journey and post updates to her small audience of 100 followers.
She started eating fruits and salads and drinking tea and juices. Since she couldn’t afford to see a nutritionist, she designed her own diet using advice she got online.
“I didn’t even have decent clothes to work out in and the sneakers were old, but I didn’t care, I just wanted to see the scale go down,” she wrote. “Life has gotten better.”
She shared her weight and gym routine every week. In eight months, she lost 77 pounds and seven months later, she managed to lose another 22 pounds.
Drika’s blog was born in February 2013 when Drika weighed 107 kg and decided to use social media to adopt a new lifestyle. Today, with 45kg (99) less, she encourages people who are looking for a healthy life with lots of humor and love!’ reads his YouTube bio.
Although Thyssen’s cause of death remains unclear, social media posts suggest she may have committed suicide.
“I will miss your stories, the early morning discussions…”, wrote a woman in an article dedicated to the social media star.
Another woman wrote: “Yesterday I lost a beautiful virtual friend who supported me a lot in my dietary rehabilitation.
“She was an incredible, beautiful woman, and she took her own life, so it’s time for you to stop talking nonsense and start ONLY listening to more people with depression.
”
Several users lamented that Thyssen’s death occurred during “Yellow September”, suicide awareness month, represented by a yellow ribbon.
The influencer was buried at Cemitério Bom Jesus in Araguari. Only family members were invited to attend the funeral.