Emman Atienza, the daughter of Filipino television personality Kim Atienza and a social media star known for her lifestyle videos from the Philippines, has died. She was 19.
Atienza died by suicide in her Los Angeles home Wednesday, according to the L.A. County medical examiner’s website.
“Emman had a way of making people feel seen and heard, and she wasn’t afraid to share her own journey with mental health,” her family wrote in an Instagram post announcing the influencer’s death. “She brought so much joy, laughter, and love into our lives and into the lives of everyone who knew her. … Her authenticity helped so many feel less alone.”
Born Emmanuelle Atienza, the rising TikTok star had relocated to Los Angeles from her native Philippines over the summer, according to Deadline, and her most recent social media posts offered glimpses into her new life in and around the city.
In addition to posts that showed her enjoying nightlife or rock climbing, Atienza would also discuss mental health and her political beliefs. In a video she posted to TikTok in August, Atienza spoke about how “misunderstood and misrepresented feminism is” on social media, calling out certain “girlboss” trends as being “misogyny packaged into a pink sparkly bow.” She had also addressed how — because the Philippines is such a conservative country — she would receive death threats for her “leftist” beliefs.
“To honor Emman’s memory, we hope you carry forward the qualities she lived by: compassion, courage, and a little extra kindness in your everyday life,” Atienza’s family Instagram post, signed by her father, mother Felicia and siblings Jose and Eliana, concluded. The caption accompanied a gallery of family photos.
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