Just when we thought 2020 couldn’t break us any more, news shocked the internet earlier today that Nicole Thea, a London-based YouTube star, and her unborn child died on Saturday. She was just 24 years old.
“To all Nicole’s friends and supporters it is with great sadness that I have to inform you that Nicole and her son she and Boga named Reign sadly passed away on Saturday morning,” her family wrote in an Instagram statement Sunday. “As a family we ask that you give us privacy because our hearts are truly broken and we are struggling to cope with what has happened.”
Thea and her partner, a dancer known professionally as Global Boga, were expecting a boy whom they’d named Reign.
Though the statement did not elaborate on Thea’s cause of death, the family shared that Thea had pre-scheduled “a few YouTube videos” to upload on her channel before her death, that will remain as scheduled.
“As a family we ask that you give us privacy because our hearts are truly broken and we are struggling to cope with what has happened,” Thea’s mother continued. “RIP My beautiful baby girl Nicnac and my grandson Reign, I will miss you for the rest of my life until we meet again in eternal heaven.”
Thea was known for posting videos about beauty and dancing and had been chronicling her pregnancy online since she announced she was having a baby with Boga in an April Instagram video. She had more than 80,000 followers on YouTube and 100,000+ followers on Instagram and also created a jewelry and eyelash line called Thea Kollection.
“We can’t hide this any longer, secrets out… GOD gave us the biggest blessing yet. I’m finally creating a beautiful little human inside of me,” the post said in April. “Honestly, @global_boga has been the best support EVER and GOD made no mistakes making him the father.”
Boga shared a video on Saturday, featuring him dancing with a baby carriage, and wrote that he couldn’t wait to take his son to the playground. He wrote in an earlier post that he believed his son would be born on a Monday.
Our thoughts and prayers are with Nicole Thea’s family, friends and partner.