Influencer Adriana ‘Drika’ Thyssen dies aged 49 after documenting her weight-loss journey to millions of fans online
A FITNESS influencer has been found dead in her apartment aged only 49.
Tributes have been pouring in for Brazilian Adriana "Drika" Thyssen, who shared her fitness journey after losing close to 100lbs in just over a year.
Adriana sought to inspire others to choose a healthy lifestyle using her massive social media presence.
Her body was found in her apartment on Sunday.
Drika was buried at a private funeral at Cemitério Bom Jesus in Araguari in her native state of Minas Gerais.
A woman claiming to be Adriana's cousin from São Paulo, said the influencer, as a public figure, had been bullied.
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"She was strong, for a long, long time. She always looked for love and only received crumbs," the woman, named Amanda Lourenço, wrote.
"Haters have already done too much, so at this moment, I ask everyone for compassion, understanding and empathy."
The influencer's death was announced through a post on the Instagram account for her clothing brand.
It read: "It is with deep sadness and regret that our team and family Blog da Drika and Drikas Store inform you of the death of our dear Drika.
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"In this moment of pain, we ask for everyone's prayers and compassion."
At the time of her death, Adriana boasted 1.7 million Facebook followers and ran a plus-sized active wear and clothing label called "Drikas Store"
The brand account had nearly 76,000 followers on Instagram.
Drika had previously admitted that she had struggled with being overweight since she was a teenager.
In a post welcoming new followers, she wrote: "I started the fight on 02/18/13, I weighed 107kg (236lbs), I wasn't pregnant and I didn't have bariatric surgery.
"I was unemployed and with my husband I was in debt at the bank."
She added that she tried countless diets and was "chronically addicted to amphetamines for 18 years," which led her down a spiral of depression and alcoholism.
