Popular influencer Tanner Martin has sadly passed away at the age of 30, with the announcement made in a powerful pre-recorded video shared on Instagram by his wife, Shay Wright.
In a heartfelt and emotional message filmed before his passing, Martin personally broke the news of his death just 41 days after welcoming his first child, daughter AmyLou.
“Hey, it’s me, Tanner. If you’re watching this, I am dead," he said. Despite the gravity of his words, he lightened the moment with a laugh.
“I had a heck of a life. I decided to make this video announcing my death because I saw someone did that, like, a year or so ago, and I think it’s a good opportunity to get all your thoughts out,” he shared.
Though smiling, Martin’s voice was noticeably weak as he spoke candidly about how his wife would continue on without him, now also caring for their newborn daughter.
“But you guys, life was awesome. I really enjoyed it while I was here,” he continued. “Hopefully, I believe there’s something after this. I’m excited to meet those people, and hopefully we’re hanging out now and making fun of all you nerds.”
He reflected on those he hoped to reunite with in the afterlife, saying: “There’s just a lot of people that for the afterlife, I’m excited to see them, and excited to see them not in pain and just happy.”
The content creator had documented his difficult journey on social media after he was diagnosed with colorectal cancer five years earlier.
Even as he faced his final moments, Martin remained surprisingly optimistic. “I don’t know. I’m like, death is scary, but it’s also like a new adventure, you know. I’m excited to see what the experience is like, and hopefully it’s good," he said.
He concluded his video by thanking his followers for their "support and helping to make the last years of my life here on earth like fun and enjoyable and helping me be comfortable".
Shay’s caption on the video read: “May the force be with you from our angel force ghost. See the next video for his wish.”
A second video, also shared by Shay on Wednesday (June 25), showed a more physically diminished Martin sitting on a sofa under a thick blanket. His voice was faint, and his baby daughter AmyLou rested beside him on a pink pillow.
The influencer acknowledged the heartbreak of knowing his baby girl would likely have no memory of him due to her young age.
He asked his fans to support Shay and AmyLou by donating to a GoFundMe account established for them. As of this writing, $450,399 has been raised.
"Your support - whether it's $1, $5, $50, or more - goes directly to helping Tanner’s two greatest loves, Shay and AmyLou, move forward with hope and security," the campaign description read. "For less than the price of a hot and spicy McChicken (Tanner’s words…LOL), you can give them a future Tanner only wished he could stay to provide."
The couple had welcomed AmyLou on May 15, sharing the milestone on social media with photos of each parent cradling their newborn.
Back in 2020, Martin first began noticing symptoms, initially dismissing them as stomach aches. As the pain intensified and bowel issues developed, he sought medical advice. A colonoscopy revealed stage 4 colorectal cancer, which had already spread to his liver.
By 2023, doctors told Martin that his cancer was incurable, estimating he had two to five years left to live.
Our thoughts are with the late influencer's loved ones and followers at this time.