Vegan influencer Zhanna Samsonova, a Russian online influencer who went by the name of Zhanna D’Art on social media, has died of starvation after years of following an entirely raw vegan diet. Zhanna was 39 years of age.
The Russian national, who frequently promoted raw foods on social media platforms like TikTok, Facebook and Instagram, had millions of viewers following her. She reportedly died on July 21 after finally seeking medical treatment during a tour of Southeast Asia.
A friend of Zhanna told Newsflash, “A few months ago, in Sri Lanka, she already looked exhausted, with swollen legs oozing lymph. They sent her home to seek treatment. However, she ran away again. When I saw her in Phuket, I was horrified.”
The friend added, “I lived one floor above her and every day I feared finding her lifeless body in the morning. I convinced her to seek treatment, but she didn’t make it.”
Zhanna frequently promoted raw foods on social media and had followed a completely raw vegan diet for many years. She lived on eating only fruits, sunflower seed sprouts, fruit smoothies and juices.
She used social media to promote her vegan food diet to others and said, “I eat simple food, although I have a lot of experience as a raw food chef. I love creating my own recipes and inspiring people to eat healthier.”
Apparently Zhanna’s switch to vegan lifestyle started when she saw her peers looking older than their age due to their eating choices.
Samsonova’s mother attributed her daughter’s passing to “cholera-like infection.” However, her official cause of death has not been declared.
Meanwhile, many of her followers have refused to believe that the vegan diet caused her death and have instead blamed the “chemicals” in the fruits she ate for her death.
