TikToker Marlene Benitez's Account Was Removed, and Now Some Think She Died

The Gist:

• TikTok influencer Marlene Benitez's account was removed from the platform, leading some to believe that she had died.
• Marlene’s account was deleted because of a rant she posted about Veteran's Day.
• Marlene's death hoax has taken off on TikTok, with some videos being viewed more than 6 million times.

When a popular account disappears from TikTok, it's only natural for the people who followed it regularly to wonder why it disappeared. Sometimes, the user behind the account took it down themselves, and other times, there was some sort of violation that resulted in the ban.

Marlene Benitez's TikTok account was removed in November 2023, and many of her followers immediately started to wonder what the reason could be. While there could be many different explanations for the account's removal, many people almost immediately started thinking that he account had been removed because she died.

Marlene's account may have been removed, but she did not die, and rumors to the contrary are untrue.

Marlene is a creator from Venezuela who had more than 14 million followers before her account was removed. Her account was flagged for removal after she apparently disrespected Veterans Day, a holiday celebrated in the US on Nov. 11. An online petition was even created to encourage TikTok to remove her account after she apparently posted a video ranting about the holiday.

Since her account on TikTok was deleted, Marlene has used her presence on Instagram to ask fans to advocate for her to get her account back. She's also made light of the rumors that she died. Given her continued posting on Instagram, it seems pretty clear that Marlene is very much still alive and well, even if she's not on TikTok right now.

It's currently unclear when or if Marlene will be able to return to TikTok. There is clearly a contingent of Americans who found her comments on Veteran's Day offensive. The day, which is meant to honor all the men and women who have served America in armed conflicts around the world, is venerated in the US, but those in other countries may see the day slightly differently because of the US Army's interference in foreign affairs.

Thanks to a number of comments on TikTok, as well as videos that purport to show her funeral in Washington, many on TikTok have come to believe that Marlene is really dead.

One video has gone particularly viral on the platform, and features video of what appears to be a car accident along with a photo of Marlene's face.

The post claims that the video shows the last moments of Marlene's life, and it's racked up more than 6 million views. Death hoaxes aren't uncommon on TikTok, but this one appears to have been spurred on by Marlene's actual removal from the platform. If she was actually dead, her account may have remained on the platform for months.