YouTube physical training star Jo Lindner, the center of his own ‘Joesthetics’ global online bodybuilding empire, died on Friday. He was 30.
The German fitness influencer had 8.5 million Instagram followers and his videos had almost 500 million views on his YouTube channel.
According to posts shared on social media by his friends and girlfriend he suffered an aneurysm.
An aneurysm is an abnormal swelling or bulge in the wall of a blood vessel.
Earlier in June, in an interview for an episode of fellow YouTuber Bradley Martyn’s Raw Talk, Sky News reports he spoke about having rippling muscle disease, a condition in which muscles are unusually sensitive to movement or pressure.
“Technically, it’s a cramp,” he told Martyn.
Paying tribute on Instagram, his girlfriend Nicha shared several photographs and videos, and said she was with him when he fell ill.
“He was in my arms.. than this is just happening too fast,” she wrote, before going on to say he had complained of neck pain in the few days prior to his death.
She described Lindner as “sweet”, “strong” and an “amazing and incredible person in this world”.
Nicha added: “And he is the believer in EVERYONE… specially ME he believes in me that I could be better and be someone in this world.”
After news of Lindner’s death broke, fellow bodybuilder Noel Deyzel confirmed the reports were true on his Instagram Stories.
“This is not a joke. His mother requested that we inform people about the situation,” he wrote. “Please keep Jo and his loved ones in your prayers.