Graven, known on social media for gaming and extreme challenges, died in France in August 2025

NEED TO KNOW

• Two men were convicted in the aftermath of French streamer Jean Pormanove’s death on a livestream last year. The men were not accused of causing Mr. Graven’s death
• In criminal court on Wednesday, Aug. 5, the two men, Owen Cenazandotti and Safine Hamadi, were convicted of aggravated violence and incitement to hatred and violence online, reported the New York Times, citing a public prosecutor
• Graven, known on social media for gaming and extreme challenges, died during a 12-day livestream in France in August 2025

Two men have been convicted in the aftermath of French streamer Jean Pormanove’s death on a livestream last year.

In criminal court on Wednesday, Aug. 5, the two men, Owen Cenazandotti and Safine Hamadi, were convicted of aggravated violence and incitement to hatred and violence online, reported the New York Times, citing a public prosecutor. They were not accused of causing the death of the streamer — whose legal name was Raphaël Graven — but controlled his livestream, which was broadcasting when he died, the outlet reported.

Graven had a following of over 500,000 across his social media platforms and was known for gaming and extreme challenges on his livestreams. He was found dead by police in a room rented for streaming in a village north of Nice, France, on Aug. 18, 2026, following a 12-day livestream on the platform Kick.

In videos of Graven’s past livestreams reviewed by the New York Times and CNN, the content creator was regularly the subject of physical and verbal abuse while broadcasting.

An autopsy conducted shortly after his death, however, found that his cause of death “was not traumatic in origin and was not linked to the intervention of a third party,” per the Nice prosecutor’s office, which added that he had previously experienced cardiac issues and had been undergoing treatment for his thyroid gland.

Cenazandotti, also a streamer with a sizeable following, received a 12-month suspended prison term and a fine of €15,000 — or roughly $17,000 — per the New York Times, citing Cenazandotti’s lawyer. Hamadi received an 18-month suspended prison term and a fine of €5,000 — or roughly $5,800 — Cenazandotti’s lawyer said. The pair have also been barred from posting on Kick for six months, reported the New York Times.

In a statement to the outlet, Cenazandotti’s lawyer called the conviction “disproportionate,” arguing that Graven had not been abused by either man and his death was not linked to their behavior.

“The reality is far less sensational,” he reportedly penned. “These were young friends who received money in exchange for challenges — not all of which were in good taste — but which didn’t lead to Mr. Graven’s death.”

Kick said in a statement to the New York Times that it had no comment on the convictions as it was not a party in the case. PEOPLE has reached out to the platform for comment.

The platform, however, remains under investigation by French prosecutors, reported BBC.

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In December 2024, authorities in the country opened an investigation into the action of streamers, prompted in part by a report by investigative news site Mediapart, which alleged that Kick had allowed its content creators to broadcast violent acts on their platform for months.

In January 2025, as part of the investigation, French authorities arrested and detained two streamers who had participated in livestreams with Graven, though they were later released, the New York Times reported, citing French authorities. The outlet said Graven and another, who appeared to be the victim of violence and humiliation, were questioned by police at the time.

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