A popular Australian YouTuber known as Pretty Pastel Please has tragically passed away at the age of 30 after being targeted by cruel trolls.
The devastating news was confirmed in an Instagram post shared to the beloved social media star’s account on Friday afternoon.
The post shared that the YouTuber, whose real name is Alexandra or ‘Alex’, died ‘suddenly’ last month, with tributes pouring in for the beloved star.
Alex had a devoted fanbase on YouTube, where she shared fashion haul, product reviews and travel videos, but also spoke about being targeted by trolls who speculated about her personal life.
Her loved ones said they will be holding a memorial on YouTube and Instagram for her fans and explained that her death had come as a ‘shock’.
Sharing a picture of Alex and her beloved pet parrot Archie, the post read: ‘We come to you today with a devastating announcement.
‘It is with a heavy heart that we must inform you that Alex, known to many as Pretty Pastel Please, has passed away.
‘Her passing was sudden, unexpected and devastating to all who knew her. This is a shock to us all, and her family and friends have requested privacy as they navigate their grief.
A popular Australian YouTuber known as Pretty Pastel Please has tragically passed away at the age of 30
‘We would ask that you respect their wishes – they appreciate all of your support but need time to heal in private.
‘A memorial will be posted on YouTube and here on Instagram in due course. Thank you for understanding in this difficult time.
‘If you or anyone you know is affected by this news, please reach out for help. You are not alone.
‘In Australia, you can contact Beyond Blue at 1300 22 46 36 for confidential, free counselling.’
Sharing heartfelt tributes to the beloved star, several fans mentioned that Alex had been targeted by cruel online trolls in recent years.
One fan noted how her personal life had been the subject of cruel ‘speculation’ on Reddit groups and they were sadly ‘not surprised’ to learn of her death.
Another said the trolls had ‘stomped out her light because they were jealous’.
Alex had long been open about her struggles with her mental health and social media trolling in recent years, while she also went through a divorce last year.
The devastating news was confirmed in an Instagram post shared to the social media personality’s account on Friday afternoon
Just over a year ago, Alex shared a cryptic post about removing herself from a situation that was ‘slowly killing her’, with her fans voicing their support.
Not specifying what she was referring to, Alex wrote alongside two pictures of herself: ‘What a difference 5 months makes, when you remove yourself from a situation that was slowly killing you.’
Alex also revealed in a YouTube livestream less than a year ago that she was going through a divorce, which had been initiated by her husband.
She said their marriage fell apart after they made plans to move from Sydney to Tasmania together, but he found himself having second thoughts.
Despite the relationship coming to an end, Alex decided to stay in Tasmania alone documented the renovation of her 1880s cottage in Hobart on Instagram.
Over the years, Alex has also opened up about being targeted by cruel trolls and explained how she struggled to deal with all the ‘hurtful’ remarks she received.
In one heartbreaking post, the internet personality called on people to be kinder rather than telling her to step away from her YouTube career to avoid the criticism.
‘I’ll admit it now, I don’t handle criticism well. I’m not cut out to handle reading negative things about myself,’ she wrote in a December 2022 post.
‘I can see a thousand positive comments and forget them all the moment someone says they don’t like me.
‘Ten thousand people can tell me they think I’m beautiful, but if ten people call me ugly, my self-worth goes down the drain. No, I can’t handle it, but that doesn’t mean I can’t continue to have a presence online.
Alex had been open about her struggles with her mental health and social media trolling in recent years, while she also went through a divorce last year
‘People say “you shouldn’t be a YouTuber if you can’t handle negative comments” but how about “YouTubers shouldn’t look at comments, because the things people say can be very hurtful”?’
She told how ‘thousands’ of strangers on the internet had been cruelly ‘weighing in’ on her mental health after she ‘took some time away from the internet to heal’.
Addressing her change in content, Alex said her ‘highly curated’ persona Pretty Pastel Please was not a true reflection of herself, but represented her mental health struggles.
‘The girl you came to know that spent thousands of dollars on fast fashion and pretended they were some sort of beauty guru was not actually Alex,’ she shared.
‘Pretty Pastel Please is a persona born of trauma, deflection and mental illness – a bright colourful character that can look past their pain and put on a smile.’
‘She hated herself every day of her life. She got plastic surgery to fix parts of her body that she was insecure about, because strangers decided to comment,’ she went on.
Alex said things changed for her when she made friends with a group of subscribers while visiting Tasmania on holiday, leading to her relocating there from Sydney with her then-husband.
She added that she ‘finally’ felt like she had returned to the ‘real me’ and said she felt ‘relieved’ people were unsubscribing to her content as she addressed the unwanted negativity she received.
In September 2022, Alex spoke publicly for the first time about being diagnosed with OCD and ADHD and detailed her struggles with anxiety and complex post-traumatic stress disorder.
Her loved ones said they will be holding a memorial on YouTube and Instagram for her fans and explained that her death had come as a ‘shock’
‘In 2020 I finally worked up the courage to speak to a Psychiatrist about the mental health issues I’ve struggled with all my life,’ she detailed at the time.
Alex documented her previous struggles with medication to treat her mental health before telling her fans: ‘Feeling truly happy for the first time in a long time.’
‘I won’t give up, I know the right treatment is out there – the old Alex will be back soon enough (and hopefully the old Archie too),’ she added.
Alex had almost 700,000 followers on YouTube, where she was known for her videos documenting her travels and trying out fashion and beauty trends, while her pet parrot Archie also featured heavily in her content.
The last video shared to her YouTube page on May 31 – which saw her doing a Temu fashion haul – has since been flooded with tributes from heartbroken fans.
The social media star and nature lover was also a talented photographer and had a separate Instagram account dedicated to sharing her wildlife photography.
After the devastating news of her death, her heartbroken fans took to Instagram to share their condolences and messages of support with Alex’s family.
One wrote: ‘My heart is in my stomach I’m so saddened by this news praying for her family. I can’t believe this. I loved her so much she was my comfort person to watch.’
Another said: ‘I…. can’t believe this. I don’t know how to process this and I just hope she gets to rest in peace. To Alex’s family, she was a light in so many people’s lives, including mine.
Alex was followed by almost 700,000 people on YouTube, where she posted videos documenting her travels and showed her trying out fashion and beauty trends
‘She deserved to live so much longer and to have a happy long life. Please don’t rush the memorial for us, take your time to grieve.’
A third commented: ‘This is devastating. To her family, I am so sorry. Your daughter brought so much joy to millions.’
While a fourth penned: ‘Oh my gosh, this is heart breaking. I’ve watched her for years. I’m so sorry to her family. I’ll be spending a lot of time thinking of her.’
Another added: ‘I am SO devastated to see this. Been following Alex for many years and she was so genuine and kind. She had a pure heart.
‘RIP Alex- you will very much be missed. Thank you for being so brave and sharing your real life these last several years- you helped others more than you know.’
If you have been affected by this story, call Lifeline Australia on 13 11 14 or or contact Beyond Blue at 1300 22 46 36 for confidential, free counselling.
