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Adam Perkins death: Viral Vine star dies aged 24

Brother says his life was ‘tragically cut short’

James Crump
Wednesday 14 April 2021 13:39 BST
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Viral Vine star Adam Perkins dies aged 24
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Viral Vine star Adam Perkins, known for his “Welcome to Chilis” video, has died at the age of 24, his twin brother has confirmed in a post on Instagram.

The social media star’s twin, Patrick Perkins, confirmed in an Instagram post on Tuesday evening that his brother died on 11 April, writing that he has lost his “best friend”. No cause of death has yet been revealed.

“I can’t even really put into words what this loss means for me. i’m often asked the question, ‘what’s it like to be a twin?’ and my response is usually, ‘what’s it like to NOT be a twin?’ Being a twin is a very central part of my identity.

“It’s all I’ve known. and I’m struggling to find the words to explain what it will be like for me to live in this world without him. my best friend,” he wrote in an Instagram post announcing the news.

Patrick, who said that his brother’s life was “tragically cut short”, revealed that he will be releasing Perkins’ 2018 album “Latch Relay on a limited edition vinyl”, adding: “I love you, my best friend Adam. 1997-forever.”

Following the announcement, tributes poured in from fans of the social media star’s content and other Vine creators.

One fan wrote: “RIP TO A HERO, A LEGEND,” alongside Perkins’ “Welcome to Chilis” Vine, as another said:“Here’s to you Adam Perkins. Rest easy buddy.”

Another fan paid tribute to Perkins, writing: “Rest in peace Adam Perkins. You brought so much comfort and laughter to so many people. We’ll never forget you legend. Sending love to his family especially his brother Patrick. 1997-forever.”

Vine star Rickey Thompson commented on Patrick’s post with a crying emoji, as Perkins’ ex-boyfriend Kelton Elliott shared a tribute to him on Instagram, writing: “This past weekend my forever best friend and ex-boyfriend passed, and I’ve been devastated.

“We spent almost every day and night in 2020 and 2021 together in our little home until I temporarily relocated to Oregon. We were there for each other during the hardest year of our lives.

“I could and have talked about him for hours, but I’m just saying one thing right now: Me and him discussed how we’d want to be remembered after we died, and he said he’d like to be remembered for his art, his music.”

Following the outpouring of tributes for Perkins, his brother thanked fans on social media, writing: “In this time of mourning, I am comforted to know how many people he touched. The kindest human I know.”

Perkins went viral on Vine in 2015 after he posted a video mocking adverts for the American restaurant chain Chili’s, with the clip garnering more than 20 million views in a year.

Following the shutdown of Vine in 2016, Perkins posted content on TikTok and studied music composition at New York University, releasing the album Latch Relay in 2018 under the name Plas Teg.

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