Influencer Adriana ‘Drika’ Thyssen dies aged 49 after documenting her weight-loss journey to millions of fans online
A FITNESS influencer was found dead in her apartment aged just 49.
Tributes abounded for Brazilian Adriana “Drika” Thyssen, who shared her fitness journey after losing nearly 100 pounds in just over a year.
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Adriana wanted to use her massive social media presence to inspire others to make healthy lifestyle choices.
Her body was found in her apartment on Sunday.
Drika was buried at a private funeral at the Bom Jesus Cemetery in Araguari, in her home state of Minas Gerais.
A São Paulo woman who claimed to be Adriana’s cousin said the influencer was bullied as a public figure.
“She was strong for a long, long time. She was always looking for love and only got crumbs,” wrote the woman named Amanda Lourenço.
“Haters have already done too much, so at this moment I ask everyone for compassion, understanding and empathy.”
The influencer’s death was announced through a post on her clothing brand’s Instagram account.
It said: “It is with deep sadness and regret that our team and our family blog da Drika and Drikas Store inform you of the death of our dear Drika.
“In this moment of pain, we ask everyone for prayers and compassion.”
At the time of her death, Adriana had 1.7 million Facebook followers and ran a plus-sized activewear and clothing label called Drikas Store.
The brand account had almost 76,000 followers on Instagram.
Drika previously admitted that she had struggled with obesity since she was a teenager.
In a post welcoming new followers, she wrote: “I started the fight on 2/18/13, I weighed 107 kg (236 pounds), I was not pregnant and did not have bariatric surgery.”
“I was unemployed and my husband and I were in debt to the bank.”
She added that she tried countless diets and was “chronically addicted to amphetamines for 18 years,” which led her into a spiral of depression and alcoholism.
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