Speculation is brewing over the death of plus-sized social media influencer Edgar Landaverde at just 37 years old.
The social media star, known as Callejas 503 online, was known for sharing food and product reviews with his 82,900 Instagram followers and 178,000 YouTube subscribers. He also often posted videos about travel and daily life with friends.
His family made the announcement on his social media accounts on Thursday and thanked his followers for the love and support they showed him. The family did not share the cause of his death.
“A true painful situation for the family but we are making it public to all media: our beloved Callejas 503 has left this world,” his family wrote on his Instagram and YouTube accounts on June 6.
“We ask for your understanding and respect for the mourning of the family,” the statement continued.
Mr. Landaverde was buried on Saturday in his native country of El Salvador. The burial was live-streamed on social media.
The influencer’s videos often show him relaxing and enjoying food.
“Eating quesadillas,” he wrote in one post, as he ate while standing in a pool.
“Have you tried the best donuts in El Salvador?” he asked in another post as he reviewed various sweets at a local donut joint.
Although the cause of his death was not disclosed, many social followers suggested that he led an unhealthy lifestyle. Social media users speculated that his declining health was connected to his death.
“Unfortunately, Callejitas never worried about his health,” one person commented.
Another social media user claimed that he seemed “unwell” recently.
“What hurts the most is that, it could have been avoided if someone had taken him to the hospital,” an Instagram follower commented.
Last year, 33-year-old TikTok star Wafffler69 died of a presumed heart attack, according to his family. The social media influencer, whose real name was Taylor LeJeune, shared bizarre food reviews with his 1.9 followers.
The last time Callejas 503 posted a video on his Instagram account was April 24, in which he was talking about a product he bought for his motorbike.
The content creator’s last YouTube video was uploaded in May, during which he filmed his lunch outing with friends at a food market in Santa Tecla.
In one of his videos, Mr. Landaverde complained that his home country of El Salvador did not value the content of social media influencers such as himself.
“I really appreciate it when brands or people value my work because here in my country, El Salvador, brands don’t support content creators,” he said.
“They prefer to pay a fortune to be on TV, even though we could probably give them better publicity,” adding that influencers’ advertising is more effective and their reach is large.
In an Instagram video posted in December of last year, he showed a compilation of photos from his travel adventures and daily life in which he was smiling, relaxing, and enjoying life.
“Happy with life for allowing me these nice memories,” the social media star wrote in the post.
Tributes from supporters and followers honoring his life and legacy were shared online from across the globe.
“We will miss you in our homes, Callejas. You were part of our lives without even knowing you. Thank you for brightening our lives,” one tribute stated.