Vegan influencer Zhanna D’Art ‘dies of hunger and exhaustion’ after switching to a restrictive tropical fruit diet
Vegan influencer Zhanna D’Art ‘dies of hunger and exhaustion’ after switching to a restrictive tropical fruit diet
- Vegan influencer apparently dies of ‘starvation’
- She ate a strict diet of raw foods and fruits
A vegan raw food influencer who lived on a diet of exotic fruits has reportedly died of starvation and exhaustion.
Originally from Russia, Zhanna Samsonova lived in Southeast Asia and for the past five years ate an exclusively raw vegan diet consisting of “fruits, sunflower seeds, fruit smoothies and juices.”
However, according to her friends, her eating habits became worryingly restrictive in the last few months of her life.
The 40-year-old, known online as Zhanna D’Art, died on July 21, reportedly from a “cholera-like infection” aggravated by “exhaustion of the body from a vegan diet,” her mother told the Russian newspaper Vechernyaya Kazan.
Zhanna’s official cause of death has not yet been determined as her family tries to get her body back to Russia.
Food influencer Zhanna Samsonova (pictured) who followed a strict raw food vegan diet is said to have died of ‘starvation and exhaustion’ on July 21
Originally from Russia, Zhanna lived in Southeast Asia for the past five years eating a raw vegan diet consisting of “fruits, sunflower seeds, fruit smoothies and juices.”
The food blogger’s mother, Vera Samsonova, told local news outlets that Zhanna would fly to Kazan on the day of her death.
Vera did not approve of her daughter’s extreme diet and tried to convince her to introduce more balanced eating habits, but she refused.
Speaking to Newsflash, an anonymous friend of Zhanna claimed that they saw Zhanna “exhausted” a few months ago in Sri Lanka.
“They sent her home to seek treatment. However, she ran away again. When I saw her in Phuket, I was shocked,” they said.
In the last few months of her life, her eating habits became disturbingly restrictive, according to her friends. The official cause of Zhanna’s death has not yet been determined
In a post published on June 7, Zhanna said she was excited about Thailand’s fruit season, saying it was “time to arrive”
“I lived one floor above her and every day I was afraid to find her lifeless body in the morning. I convinced her to get treatment, but she didn’t make it.’
Zhanna had followed a vegan diet for about ten years, initially allowing herself occasional fish and dairy products.
Over the years, however, her restrictive eating habits became more and more extreme, with a friend claiming that for the past seven years she’d only eaten durian, a spiky fruit known for its pungent smell. Time news reported.
However, her Instagram feed shows otherwise and is full of videos with tens of thousands of views featuring colorful raw dishes including soups, salads, fruits and even burgers and pies.
In a after published on June 7, Zhanna said she was excited about Thailand’s fruit season, saying it was “time to arrive.”