Cooper Noriega was a popular online personality and model. His following was primarily on TikTok, with more than 1.8 million followers; he built that audience with lip-synching, comedy, and skateboarding videos. Cooper was very candid about his struggles with drug addiction, mental health, and sobriety; In January of 2021, he shared on Twitter. 

“90 days clean!!! [It’s] been hard, but so much beauty during this process, it’s also crazy that [four] months ago [I] was at such a low point. I had a deadly overdose/ suicide attempt on fent[anyl] when I stopped breathing and was rushed to the ER. Luckily, someone found me before it was too late :).” 

Cooper created a Discord as a community for people to discuss their mental health struggles. In a social media post, he shared his goals for both the Discord and the future; 

” I would like to use my influence I’ve been giving to create a space built on spreading awareness and normalizing talking about mental illness. My goal is to eventually open a rehab center where people aren’t traumatized at the end of their recovery and where the staff members are trusted, people.” 

“One of the many things I’ve learnt while struggling with addiction was that surrounding yourself with negative people will only bring you down.”

“For that reason, this Discord is meant to bring us all together and create a safe space where people can vent and help others through their tough times.” 

However, like many stories about addiction things can take a turn very suddenly.  Cooper, unfortunately will not be able to see the impacts he has made on many people’s lives. Hours after posting a Tik Tok about dying young, Cooper was found dead in a parking lot in Burbank, California, on Thursday, June 9th, 2022. He was 19 years old. After an autopsy by the LA Medical Examiner, the cause of death is still undetermined. An outpouring of messages has come from the Tik Tok community. If you are struggling with addiction and substance abuse, you don’t have to struggle alone. 

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