Popular Australian YouTuber dies suddenly aged 30 after cruel speculation about her personal life: 'They stomped out her light'

A popular Australian YouTuber, known as Pretty Pastel Please, has tragically passed away at the age of 30.

The devastating news was confirmed in a statement shared to her Instagram page on Friday afternoon.

The post revealed the social media star, whose real name is Alexandra or 'Alex', died 'suddenly' last month.

Alex had a devoted fanbase on Instagram and YouTube where she shared her fashion hauls, product reviews and travel videos, but she had been the target of cruel trolling in recent years.

Her loved ones said Alex's death had come as a 'shock' and a memorial on YouTube and Instagram will be posted for her fans.

Sharing a picture of Alex and her beloved pet parrot Archie, the post read: 'We come to you today with a devastating announcement.

'It is with a heavy heart that we must inform you that Alex, known to many as Pretty Pastel Please, has passed away.

'Her passing was sudden, unexpected and devastating to all who knew her. This is a shock to us all, and her family and friends have requested privacy as they navigate their grief.

'We would ask that you respect their wishes - they appreciate all of your support but need time to heal in private.

'A memorial will be posted on YouTube and here on Instagram in due course. Thank you for understanding in this difficult time.

'If you or anyone you know is affected by this news, please reach out for help. You are not alone.

'In Australia, you can contact Beyond Blue at 1300 22 46 36 for confidential, free counselling.'

Posting heartfelt tributes to the beloved star, several fans noted Alex was often targeted by cruel online trolls.

One said her personal life had been the subject of cruel 'speculation' on Reddit groups and they were sadly 'not surprised' to learn of her death.

Another said trolls had 'stomped out her light because they were jealous'.

Alex confirmed in a YouTube livestream less than a year ago she was going through a divorce with her husband.

She said their marriage fell apart after they made plans to move from Sydney to Tasmania together, but he found himself having second thoughts.

Despite the relationship coming to an end, she decided to stay in Tasmania alone and had an Instagram page where she documented the renovation of her 1880s cottage in Hobart.

In April 2023, she shared a cryptic post about removing herself from a situation that was 'slowly killing her'.

'What a difference 5 months makes, when you remove yourself from a situation that was slowly killing you,' she wrote along two pictures of herself.

While Alex had a huge fanbase of devoted fans, she addressed her struggles with online trolling over the years in a series of heartbreaking posts.

She said she found it hard to deal with all the 'hurtful' remarks she received online and called on people to be kinder.

'I'll admit it now, I don't handle criticism well. I'm not cut out to handle reading negative things about myself,' she wrote in a December 2022 post.

'I can see a thousand positive comments and forget them all the moment someone says they don't like me.

'Ten thousand people can tell me they think I'm beautiful, but if ten people call me ugly, my self-worth goes down the drain. No, I can't handle it, but that doesn't mean I can't continue to have a presence online.

'People say "you shouldn't be a YouTuber if you can't handle negative comments" but how about "YouTubers shouldn't look at comments, because the things people say can be very hurtful?"'

She told how 'thousands' of strangers on the internet had been cruelly 'weighing in' on her mental health after she 'took some time away from the internet to heal'.

Addressing her change in content, Alex said her 'highly curated' persona Pretty Pastel Please was not a true reflection of herself, but represented her mental health struggles.

'The girl you came to know that spent thousands of dollars on fast fashion and pretended they were some sort of beauty guru was not actually Alex,' she shared.

'Pretty Pastel Please is a persona born of trauma, deflection and mental illness - a bright colourful character that can look past their pain and put on a smile.

'She hated herself every day of her life. She got plastic surgery to fix parts of her body that she was insecure about, because strangers decided to comment.'

Alex said things changed for her when she made friends with a group of subscribers while visiting Tasmania on holiday, leading to her relocation from Sydney.

She added she 'finally' felt like she had returned to the 'real me' and was 'relieved' people were unsubscribing to her content.

In September 2022, Alex spoke publicly for the first time about being diagnosed with OCD and ADHD and detailed her struggles with anxiety and complex post-traumatic stress disorder.

'In 2020 I finally worked up the courage to speak to a Psychiatrist about the mental health issues I've struggled with all my life,' she said at the time.

Alex documented her previous struggles with medication to treat her mental health, before telling her fans: 'Feeling truly happy for the first time in a long time.'

'I won't give up, I know the right treatment is out there - the old Alex will be back soon enough (and hopefully the old Archie too),' she added.

Alex had almost 700,000 followers on YouTube, where she was known for her videos documenting her travels and trying out fashion and beauty trends, and her pet parrot Archie also featured heavily in her content.

The last video Alex posted to her YouTube page was a Temu fashion haul on May 31. It has since been flooded with tributes from heartbroken fans.

The social media star and nature lover was also a talented photographer and had a separate Instagram account decided to sharing her wildlife photography.

After the devastating news of her death, her dedicated fans took to Instagram to share their condolences and messages of support to Alex's family.

One wrote: 'My heart is in my stomach I'm so saddened by this news praying for her family. I can't believe this. I loved her so much she was my comfort person to watch.'

Another said: 'I.... can't believe this. I don't know how to process this and I just hope she gets to rest in peace. To Alex's family, she was a light in so many people's lives, including mine.

'She deserved to live so much longer and to have a happy long life. Please don't rush the memorial for us, take your time to grieve.'

'My heart is in my stomach I'm so saddened by this news praying for her family. I can't believe this. I loved her so much she was my comfort person to watch,' one wrote.

Another said: 'I can't believe this. I don't know how to process this and I just hope she gets to rest in peace. To Alex's family, she was a light in so many people's lives, including mine.

'She deserved to live so much longer and to have a happy long life. Please don't rush the memorial for us, take your time to grieve.'

A third commented: 'This is devastating. To her family, I am so sorry. Your daughter brought so much joy to millions.'

While a fourth penned: 'Oh my gosh, this is heart breaking. I've watched her for years. I'm so sorry to her family. I'll be spending a lot of time thinking of her.'

Another added: 'I am SO devastated to see this. Been following Alex for many years and she was so genuine and kind. She had a pure heart.

'RIP Alex- you will very much be missed. Thank you for being so brave and sharing your real life these last several years- you helped others more than you know.

If you have been affected by this story, call Lifeline Australia on 13 11 14 or or contact Beyond Blue at 1300 22 46 36 for confidential, free counselling.