Latest news with #EthanFrankamp
Daily Mail
7 days ago
- Daily Mail
Harrowing new details in tragic death of YouTube star found dead by her husband
A devastating new update has come to light less than a month after YouTuber Mikayla Raines's suicide. According to the Midwest Medical Examiner's Office, Raines hanged herself in the barn on her property in Faribault, Minnesota. She was found dead on June 20 wearing a fleece onesie, a shirt, boxer briefs and socks. Her husband, Ethan Frankamp announced her death to her loyal followers on Instagram on June 24. He said that she'd long struggled with mental health issues, including depression, borderline personality disorder, and autism. Raines was reportedly cremated and a funeral was held in her honor on Saturday, July 12. The 30-year-old was on the receiving end of online harassment and bullying leading up to her death. In his statement, Frankamp said, 'She was so took everything negative to heart. 'For a few years a group of people had been throwing dirt on Mikayla's name,' he said. 'They consistently spread ridiculous claims and rumors and being the sensitive human that she was, Mikayla took it all to heart. And it hurt her.' Frankamp found Raines in the barn and performed CPR on her for fifteen minutes while he waited for help to arrive, but it was too late. He said that recently, she had come to a breaking point with all of the negativity she was facing online. 'She felt as if the entire world had turned against couldn't bear what she was feeling any longer and she ended her life.' Raines was known on YouTube and TikTok as a passionate animal advocate. She gained millions of followers after founding Save a Fox rescue where she cared for abandoned foxes and foxes bred for pelts on fur farms. Her rescue has locations in Minnesota and Florida. Her husband promised to keep them running in her absence. 'Every single animal here just lost their best friend,' he said. She also used her personal platform to educate her followers about autism and advocate for autistic adults like herself. Her TikTok page has over three million followers. Her husband described her as a loving mother to their daughter Freya, a devoted wife, and a 'light' for animals her entire life.
CBS News
26-06-2025
- CBS News
Husband of Mikayla Raines says she struggled with online bullying before her death: "I do hope there's accountability"
Less than a week after Save A Fox rescue founder Mikayla Raines died by suicide, her husband, Ethan Frankamp, is speaking out and sharing his grief. "I'm going to be honest – I don't have any words to describe it. It's definitely been the hardest week of my life, for sure," Frankamp said. Frankamp says he discovered Raines Friday morning. Despite efforts to save her life with CPR, she died. Raines leaves behind a young daughter. "It's been really difficult trying to watch (our daughter) comprehend what's going on," Frankamp said. "Because she doesn't know. And I can't explain it to her. I don't have the words to explain it to her. Just trying to explain it to her that mommy's gone. Frankamp reiterated Thursday that Raines had struggled with online bullying, including from people close to her. He says that, paired with recent levels of increasing stress, could be overwhelming. "There's a bunch of different places where this just kind of all adds up," he said. "And even though she would always see so many positive comments on stuff she was doing, she took the negative ones very personally. The Rice County Sheriff's Office says the investigation into Raines' death is still open. Frankamp says he would hope to see some sort of accountability for the people commenting hatred online. "I do hope there's accountability. Not just from a legal aspect, or a criminal aspect, but just if the people that did this can have the time to self-reflect on what they've said and what they've done. And how just a simple comment online can be such a personal thing online to someone that's reading it," Frankamp said. Raines founded Save A Fox in Lakeville, Minnesota, in 2017, and was soon at odds with the city council for violating her permit by taking in more than twice the number of foxes allowed and by expanding the fencing on her property, according to city officials. "Ninety percent of the foxes that come through here are getting re-homed," she told WCCO in 2017. "I consider them my family." Despite her permit loss, she received $60,000 in donations in just three months, leading her to open a bigger operation near Faribault in Rice County. Mikayla Raines told WCCO she began caring for animals as a teenager, first taking in a fox when she was 19. "These foxes need a place to go, so I want to make that happen," she said in 2019. "And I'm going to do whatever it takes to do that." If you or someone you know is in emotional distress or suicidal crisis, call the National Suicide Prevention Hotline at 988 or 1-800-273-TALK (8255). For more information about mental health care resources and support, The National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) HelpLine can be reached Monday through Friday, 10 a.m.–6 p.m. ET, at 1-800-950-NAMI (6264) or email info@ contributed to this report.
Daily Telegraph
25-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Telegraph
YouTube star and animal activist Mikayla Raines dies aged 29
Don't miss out on the headlines from Real Life. Followed categories will be added to My News. A popular YouTube star and passionate animal rights activist has died by suicide after being bullied online, her heartbroken husband has revealed. Mikayla Raines, a content creator and founder of a fox rescue centre in the US, was the victim of an 'online bullying campaign' from people she knew, her husband Ethan Frankamp said in a heartbreaking YouTube video. Mikayla Raines was YouTube star and animal rights activist. The 29-year-old, who began working in wildlife rehabilitation when she was 15, was also a mum to a baby daughter. Frankamp said his wife had complex mental health challenges and claimed the criticism she was receiving online caused her mental health to deteriorate. 'She felt as if the entire world had turned against her,' he shared. 'She has always battled with borderline personality disorder, causing emotional instability as well as impulsive behaviours, but this time it went too far.' Frankamp added that his wife also had autism and struggled with depression. Raines had a real passion for animals and established her non-profit centre Save A Fox, which rescues and rehabilitates foxes and other exotic animals, at 20. 'From a young age she dedicated every waking hour of her life to helping them [animals], whether it was helping a snapping turtle cross the road or saving 500 foxes from a terrible fur farm,' her husband said. Mikayla Raines was YouTube star and animal rights activist. 'She was never in it for fame, money or personal gain. 'She was truly one of the most selfless people I have ever known.' The Save A Fox YouTube channel boasts 2.45 million subscribers and Raines had 500,000 followers on Instagram. Frankamp ended the tearful video by telling critics spreading 'garbage' rumours to 'shut up' — and urged people feeling 'lost and hopeless' to reach out to a loved one or call a hotline for help. 'Despite this being the biggest loss of my life and feeling like I have a literal hole in my chest, I will not let Mikayla's light be extinguished and I won't let negativity win,' he added. Frankamp's announcement of the Minnesota mother's death came one day after he posted a sweet video of Raines smiling after she rescued a lemur. Frankamp said he 'will do whatever I can' to continue the work at Save A Fox. This story originally appeared on the New York Post and reproduced with permission Originally published as YouTube star and animal activist Mikayla Raines dies aged 29
News.com.au
25-06-2025
- Entertainment
- News.com.au
YouTube star and animal activist Mikayla Raines dies aged 29
A popular YouTube star and passionate animal rights activist has died by suicide after being bullied online, her heartbroken husband has revealed. Mikayla Raines, a content creator and founder of a fox rescue centre in the US, was the victim of an 'online bullying campaign' from people she knew, her husband Ethan Frankamp said in a heartbreaking YouTube video. The 29-year-old, who began working in wildlife rehabilitation when she was 15, was also a mum to a baby daughter. Frankamp said his wife had complex mental health challenges and claimed the criticism she was receiving online caused her mental health to deteriorate. 'She felt as if the entire world had turned against her,' he shared. 'She has always battled with borderline personality disorder, causing emotional instability as well as impulsive behaviours, but this time it went too far.' Frankamp added that his wife also had autism and struggled with depression. Raines had a real passion for animals and established her non-profit centre Save A Fox, which rescues and rehabilitates foxes and other exotic animals, at 20. 'From a young age she dedicated every waking hour of her life to helping them [animals], whether it was helping a snapping turtle cross the road or saving 500 foxes from a terrible fur farm,' her husband said. 'She was never in it for fame, money or personal gain. 'She was truly one of the most selfless people I have ever known.' The Save A Fox YouTube channel boasts 2.45 million subscribers and Raines had 500,000 followers on Instagram. Frankamp ended the tearful video by telling critics spreading 'garbage' rumours to 'shut up' — and urged people feeling 'lost and hopeless' to reach out to a loved one or call a hotline for help. 'Despite this being the biggest loss of my life and feeling like I have a literal hole in my chest, I will not let Mikayla's light be extinguished and I won't let negativity win,' he added. Frankamp's announcement of the Minnesota mother's death came one day after he posted a sweet video of Raines smiling after she rescued a lemur. Frankamp said he 'will do whatever I can' to continue the work at Save A Fox.
