Pope the Barber: TikTok star Adonis Beck dies and ex-girlfriend Lisa Brezinski pays tribute to her 'true love'

TikTok star Adonis Beck, who was known to their fans as Pope the Barber, has reportedly died aged 34.

Among the tributes which have been left to Beck on the social media site include one from their former girlfriend Lisa Brezinski, who said she’d lost her “best friend, true love and other half”.

Beck, who had more than 116,000 followers on his TikTok account, @adonisxbeck, had been quiet on the platform in recent months and last posted a video on 12 April. They gained their nickname Pope the barber because they were best known for sharing hairstyle tips to his hundreds of thousands of fans.

So, just who was Beck, what tributes have been left in their honour and what do we know so far about their death? Here’s what you need to know.

Who was Adonis Beck?

Adonis Beck was a 34-year-old content creator. They were best known for posting videos about hair styling tips on social media, but they also posted videos showing their everyday life. They were known for wearing black and also for their distinctive tattoos on their face, arms, hands and neck. They could usually be seen listening to music through earphones in their videos and sometimes shared their favourite songs with their viewers by adding them to his videos.

They were previously in a relationship with photographer Brezinski, who goes by the handle @lkbphotography on Instagram, but it is thought they split up around a year ago. The pair were considered to be among the biggest social media influencers in the LGBTQ+ community.

What tributes have been left to Adonis Beck?

Brezinski led the tributes to Beck on social media. On Saturday 12 August, she uploaded a post with multiple videos and photos of the pair during their relationship, sharing cuddles and kisses and smiling at the camera, to her Instagram page. The caption read: “You were my best friend, my true love, my partner and my other half. Truly my missing puzzle piece. Life made sense with you. You changed millions of peoples lives with your bright light and love. You were unlike anyone I’ve ever met. The most amazing human. I’ll forever cherish our time together. I miss you and I love you.”

The emotional post prompted more than 50,000 likes, and numerous comments. Many of the commenters also wanted to leave their own tributes to Beck, and send their love to Brezinski and show her support. One said: “It was sad to see y’all go your separate ways but now this is truly heartbreaking.” Another said: “yall were my gay parents before i came out. Thank you for the content yall would share together.” Another person said: “I am so sorry. Their best days were the ones they spent with you. Your comfort and joy and connection are a bright spot in this world. Keep shining Lisa. We will always remember Pope with the beaming smile they had beside you.”

Many people also revisited Beck’s TikTok videos and left their tributes in the comments of the videos. One said: “rest in peace love” and another added: “RIP you beautiful artist and soul.” Many simply said RIP.

How did Adonis Beck die?

The cause of Beck’s death is not yet known. Some people have left comments on Brezinski’s Instagram post asking for information, but they have been met with criticism from other fans. One said: “You guys be respectful. Do not ask stuff that shouldn't [be said] at the moment. I get it, we are human and curious but it is not the time right now. Let Lisa grieve in peace, just show her love and support is what she needs at the moment.”

A GoFundMe page simply called Pope The Barber has already been set up to help Beck’s family pay for the funeral. The link was shared by Brezinski on her Instagram biography. The information written on the page states that it has been set up by Beck’s sister, Nakitta Yuong, who refers to Beck as Brittany. 

The full description on the page reads: “My name is Nakitta and I am raising funds for my sister Brittany aka Pope the barber (my sister/brother). I received the news of her tragic passing and am trying my best to coordinate her funeral. Brittany was an amazing sister who uplifted many people’s lives. Please help my family and I bring her body home and put her to rest. No donation is too small for this amazing soul.”

At the time of writing, over $11,000 (around £9,000) had been raised towards the $25,000 (around £20,000) goal.