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How did John Kelly die? TikToker's son Tex Keith mourns dad in tribute video: 'My hero'

'My dad was an incredible man who touched the hearts of millions whether he was making people laugh or helping fathers aspire to be the type of dad he was to my brother and I,' John Kelly's son said

TikTok star John Kelly has died. Kelly’s son, Tex Keith, has since confirmed the news via a statement as well as via a video on TikTok. A GoFundMe page has since been set up by Keith in his father's honor. 

In a statement to Newsweek, Keith said, "My dad was an incredible man who touched the hearts of millions whether he was making people laugh or helping fathers aspire to be the type of dad he was to my brother and I."

"My family is in a world of pain right now but appreciate the love and support from so many who feel from this loss as well. I'm glad so many people got to see my dad, he lived a life worth living." Some of the TikTokers whose death made news recently include Caitlyn Loane, Anthony Barajas, Xiao Qiumei and Timbo The Redneck. 

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The statement was issued just hours after Keith posted a video on the father-son's official TikTok page paying a heartfelt tribute to the deceased. "You'll always be my hero. Until next time Dad. I love you so much," he wrote alongside the clip.

Who was John Kelly?

Kelly co-created comedy skits with his son, Tex, 24, and was best known as being one half of TikTok handle @texandjohn. The content of their social streaming platform also included pranks and other humorous stunts.

They started their TikTok page in January 2020, and since then channel has come to boast over 2.5M followers and accumulating over 48M likes. Kelly was also the co-owner of Humboldt Construction outside of social media stardom. 

How did John Kelly die? 

Tex also created a GoFundMe page for his father. "Hi, I'm John Kelly's son, Tex. It comes with a great pain to let you all know today about the loss of an incredible man. Dad's passing was a surprise to us all and something that we will be feeling the toll of for a very long time. John Kelly lived an amazing life, full of hard work and love. He was never negative and as many of you have experienced personally with him, he was always someone you wanted to be around because he made you feel special and loved. He was a great father, son, brother, and friend to countless people," the page said. 

It added, "My family and I are absolutely devastated by his passing and while we are trying to still process all of this, life is unapologetically continuing all around us with hospital bills and expenses. Please consider donating if you are able to do so. We are extremely grateful for every donation during this difficult time." 

The exact cause of death was not revealed by Tex, although social media users who paid tribute to the TikToker mentioned that he had passed away from Covid-19. "Losing not one but two fathers I can say this hits me right in the feels. & miss you both," one of them said, while another noted, "Paying Tribute to John Kelly. Content creators come and go, but this creator and his son were great. Please see if you can help support the family. #johnkelly." A third added, "I just learned that BigBear John passed away from complications of COVID. I never met him in person but, loved their vids together with Tex. I am very, very sorry to hear this…"