YouTube star Jacksepticeye announced on Wednesday that his father has died and that he will be taking a break from his work for an indefinite period.
The Irish gaming streamer, whose real name is Seán William McLoughlin, took to Twitter to share the tragic news.
“My father passed away today. I wont be doing anything for a while. Please respect me and my family’s privacy during this time,” he tweeted .
Jacksepticeye has not yet offered any further details about the passing, including exactly how and when his father died. Many people sent condolences to Jacksepticeye, telling him they would be there for whatever he needed and that they supported him being away for as long as he needed to take care of his family.
“Love you man, i’m so sorry. A call away if you ever need it. Take your time, we’ll all be here,” tweeted musician and fellow social media personality Corpse Husband.
“I’m really sorry, Sean. Words fall short. Sending love to you and your family,” another fan tweeted in response.
Jacksepticeye has already been open about the difficulties he faced over the course of the last year and how it impacted his plans for the future. As GameRant reported, he shared a video on New Year’s Eve in which he said he was considering quitting YouTube due to the struggles he had endured.
He shared in the video that he would be “perfectly contented” if his channel were to die off. He later explained that he had been thinking about giving up his platform, noting that he had struggled with mental and physical health problems. He said that taking some time away would be good for him.
“I’ve been doing this for so long that I don’t know who I am, so I took a month off to soul search and reflect on myself.”
While he did not give exact details for what he would be doing in the future, he said that he planned to do more of what he wants in 2021, focusing on the work that made him the most proud. He has continued to upload videos since the announcement at the end of 2020.
The report noted that he is considered one of the biggest gaming content creators on the social media site , boasting more than 26 million subscribers. He has often used the platform for good causes, raising more than $4.7 million for the Red Nose Day charity and running a number of fundraising livestreams.
