Taylor Brice LeJeune, the TikTok star who rose to social media stardom as the unusual food and beverage sample Waffler69, has died. LeJeune passed away on Wednesday, Jan. 11 after suffering a “presumed heart attack,” his brother Clayton confirmed Thursday. LeJeune was 33.
The Louisiana-based food critic and TikTok content creator was “rushed to the hospital” Wednesday night, his brother told fans. According to Clayton, about “an hour and a half” after being taken to the hospital, LeJeune “passed away around 10 p.m… from a presumed heart attack.” In the emotional video message, Clayton continued, “This is still pretty new. I don’t know what’s going to be happening in the near future with any of that, but I thought I should get on TikTok and let everybody know.” He captioned the video, “Rest in [peace] Bubba I love you.” In a statement to NBC News, Clayton said he received a call from his mother, who said LeJeune could not breathe and that she needed their car to take him to the hospital. The TikTok star was ultimately transported to the hospital via ambulance, where he later died.
Videos by PopCulture.com
LeJeune first began making videos at the age of 16, and his follower count on TikTok quickly reached nearly 2 million. The star was known and loved for videos of himself preparing, testing, and trying various food items, including things like octopus spaghetti, an Addams Family cereal from 1991, and spicy coffee. In one of his last videos before his death, LeJeune dunked a giant-sized Froot Loop into a bowl of milk.
As Clayton confirmed his brother’s passing, many of LeJeune’s fans took to social media to send their condolences and pay tribute to the beloved TikToker. On Twitter, TikToker Blockchain Boy wrote, “Rest in peace to an amazing creator and beautiful soul,” adding that LeJeune “was someone I watched for a long, long time on TikTok and has passed away suddenly according to close family.” One fan wrote, “Rest Easy Taylor. You brought so much happiness to this world & to me personally.”
As he shared news of his brother’s passing, Clayton also updated his TikTok bio to include a link to a GoFundMe page. Created in an effort to raise money to cover LeJeune’s funeral expenses, Clayton wrote, “This has been insane to see how many people truly loved my brother besides my small circle of family.” The page has raised more than $12,000.
