Fans are saying goodbye to an internet superstar.
Social media personality Rolling Ray (real name Raymond Harper) has died, his mother confirmed to TMZ. He was 28.
Harper’s death was also confirmed by Zeus Network, home to several series he appeared on including Bobby I Love You, Purr and The Conversation.
“Gone way too soon,” the network wrote in a post on Instagram Sept. 3. “Your Laughter, Light, & Loving Spirit will Live on FOREVER!”
Harper, who amassed over 449,000 followers on Instagram and over 8,600 followers on TikTok, first gained prominence after appearing on the MTV reality series Catfish: Trolls in 2018. He appeared on an episode of Divorce Court the following year, which spawned several viral moments.
The influencer was also credited with popularizing the slang term “purr,” which is used to express excitement or approval.
During his life, Harper used a wheelchair due to spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) type 3, a genetic neuromuscular disorder that causes muscles to weaken and waste away. According to the Cleveland Clinic, individuals with SMA type 3 typically experience muscle weakness in the lower limbs, which can lead to difficulty walking.
But despite his condition, Harper previously shared that he defied experts’ expectations for his life.
“At first they said I was going to die at 14 years old. The doctor was wrong,” he said in an interview with I Got Time Today in November 2023. “Science changed and doctors are not always right. God is good.”
In recent years, Harper also experienced a series of medical setbacks including multiple bouts of pneumonia, which he described on social media.
“It wasn’t easy not being able to speak but it all worked out,” he wrote on Instagram in August 2024. “I fought, not just for me but for my fans, family, friends & haters!”
Following the content creator’s death, many fans shared tributes to him online including Cardi B, who lovingly called him “a menace.”
“He changed soo much and became so positive,” she wrote in a post on X (formerly Twitter) Sept. 4. “I know that soul made it to heaven…You will truly be missed BIG PURRRR!!!”
