SEATTLE, Wash.–Youtube sensation Ashton Kelly has died from wounds suffered during a grizzly bear attack after a prank video went horribly wrong.
Authorities have confirmed Kelly died of gross bodily injuries this morning. He was in the Selkirk Mountains in Washington state shooting the latest video for his popular Youtube channel, The Joke’s on You with Ashton Kelly. Sources say the prankster approached a grizzly bear and asked it to pull his finger while holding a farting machine behind his back.
Kelly’s cameraman, Gene Anderson, said he tried to warn his friend about the dangers of wild animals.
“I tried to get him not to do it. We all did, but he wouldn’t listen. He said he was going to get a million views and that we were being babies.”
Surviving crew members said they spent three days in the wilderness before they found a bear.
“What was so astounding was how little respect he seemed to have for it,” said Nancy Evans, Kelly’s assistant. “He just acted like it was a big dog or something. He walked up just several feet away from it and kept looking back at us and grinning.”
No Laughing Matter
Sources say the prankster had grown disappointed with his channel’s content in recent months and wanted to do something more outrageous. Kelly had recently moved to Seattle and learned that grizzly bears are native to the state. Despite pleading from his friends, Kelly ventured into the mountains with a small crew.
“He was obsessed with finding a bear,” said Evans. “We were all scared, but he said he was about to show us the definition of a viral video.”
Kelly spotted his bear two days later. Despite last minute warnings from his friends, he approached the animal.
“I followed him with the camera,” said Anderson. “He walked right up to it and smiled. The bear didn’t move. Then Ashton held out his finger and asked the bear to pull it.”
Witnesses said the bear began growling, to which Kelly responded: “Somebody woke up on the wrong side of the bed this morning.”
“He kept asking me if I was getting the shot,” said Anderson. “And then the bear raised a paw.”
Evans didn’t remember much but did see the attack.
“The bear raised its paw up. That’s when Kelly said, “Oh? You want me to pull your finger?’ Then he looked at the camera and winked. A moment later he reached out, and then it just jumped on him and went crazy,” she said through tears.
The crew fled the area and called for help. Authorities found the body later that day. They said the incident serves as a clear warning to content creators about the dangers of wildlife. “This isn’t a damn game,” Sheriff Lee Johnson told reporters. “You can’t just come out here and play with these animals.”
A Rising Star
Known for his outrageous stunts and viral pranks, Kelly rose to fame in 2017 after a video of him running and screaming through a grocery store went viral. His channel quickly grew into one of the most popular prank destinations on the internet and earned over two million dollars in revenue each year.
Popular segments included Baby Talk–where Kelly approached strangers and repeated everything they said in a childish voice–and Ask the manager–a recurring series in which he pretended to be a restaurant manager at various Ruby Tuesday locations.
Kelly’s most famous prank was a variation on the classic “pull my finger” gag in which he used a farting machine to exaggerate the effect. The prank notoriously embarrassed several members of high society after he infiltrated exclusive events, leading to multiple lawsuits. These controversies only increased his online presence.
Kelly leaves behind a fiance. He had moved to Seattle last month so the couple could be near her family.
Fans have flocked to Kelly’s Youtube channel to show support. Despite some commenting that the prankster brought his death upon himself, the responses have been overwhelmingly positive. As one commenter pointed out, Kelly’s final Tweet–though sad in retrospect–perfectly reflects his loving nature.
