John Crawley, a.k.a “KingBeardX” on TikTok, died earlier this week. He was 47 years old. News of the late social media star’s death came weeks after his friend created a GoFundMe page to help pay for his hospitalization. Since Crawley built a strong following online, many are wondering what happened to him.
“I’m really sorry to tell everyone the bad news, but Pimpmunkx (KingBeardx) passed away yesterday,” Crawley’s friend, Anthony Caruso, confirmed via the GoFundMe page on August 19, 2025. “Thank you to everyone that has supported the fundraiser so far. His mother says told me to thank you all [sic]. The fundraiser will continue to go on to support fundraising a funeral/helping John’s mother.”
Below, get updates on everything we know about Crawley’s untimely death, and learn more about his social media rise.
@kingbeardx1x #stitch with @Kroger #reactiontiktok #foodtiktok
Who Was John Crawley?
As previously mentioned, Crawley was a TikTok star once known as “KingBeardX.” He developed a following of 2.5 million TikTok users and 1 million on Instagram. His TikTok bio reads, “Hi, I’m King beer, the funniest dude on the Internet well, maybe the funniest.”
Crawley gained traction on social media for his witty video reactions to food and for his fluffy beard. The last time he posted a TikTok video was in July 2025, just weeks before he was hospitalized.
What Happened to TikTok Star John Crawley?
Crawley died on August 18, 2025, of cardiac arrest, TMZ reported. He had been hospitalized for about two weeks.
Caruso previously revealed that Crawley was in the hospital because he was “struggling to breathe” and that he had been placed on a ventilator earlier that month.
John Crawley’s Health Before Death
Crawley’s health had declined in his final weeks. The late TikTok influencer was brought to a local hospital in Mississippi for breathing troubles in early August. His friend Caruso shared in the GoFundMe on August 4, 2025, that Crawley was in a Mississippi ICU and was “struggling to breathe.” Caruso also revealed that he created the fundraiser because Crawley was not medically insured.
“John is the main breadwinner for his family, and unfortunately, he doesn’t have medical insurance,” the GoFundMe description reads. “His condition is quite unstable, and we’re all worried about him. From a family member of John, aka Kingbeardx, formerly known as Pimpmunkx as of late 2025, Aug 4: ‘He went to the hospital; he was having trouble breathing. Doctors put him on a ventilator… we went past 66% (O2 levels) and he stopped breathing. They (put him into the ICU and) brought it back up to 100% (O2 levels). He just had a tube placed in his chest… his breathing condition is still very bad.’”