Kirk Medas has sadly passed away aged 33 following a battle with a "severe" illness.
Medas had been in intensive care battling necrotizing pancreatitis since April 18, sedated and on a ventilator, as loved ones and fans prayed for his recovery.
Sadly, the MTV Floribama Shore star died on Friday, May 2, a devastating outcome confirmed by his co-star and close friend Aimee Hall in an Instagram post.
Hall wrote: "Today we lost a brother, a best friend, and heaven gained the most beautiful angel. We are all trying to process this unimaginable loss. Kirk was the glue that held us all together. He loved each and every one of us so deeply, with a heart bigger than this world."
She went on: "Me and Kirk started this journey together when we were just 24 years old, and from that moment on, we were family. We talked almost every single day. We worked together, we traveled together, we vacationed together—we did life together. He was there through every chapter, through every change, always ready to hold our hands and lift our spirits."
Hall continued: "It’s true what they say—God really does take the best ones first. And Kirk was the best of us. His heart, his soul, his light… it was something you don’t come across often. He was our rock, our joy, and the one who kept us all connected."
The Florida-based reality star had captured fans’ hearts on Floribama Shore, MTV’s Jersey Shore successor, appearing on all four seasons from 2017 to 2021 alongside Hall, Nilsa Prowant, Gus Smyrnios, Jeremiah Buoni, Candace Rice, Codi Butts, and Kortni Gilson.
In one of the show's most surprising origin stories, Medas once revealed he never actually planned to be on reality TV — he just tagged along with a nervous friend during the audition process.
“My buddy called me and was like, ‘I’m getting interviewed for this TV show, I’m nervous and I need some comfort,’” the Atlanta native told The New York Post in 2017. “So I went over to his house and [the MTV producers] ended up meeting me and they asked if they could interview me.”
“I ended up making the cut,” he admitted. “But I felt bad because [my friend] didn’t.”
Following his run on Floribama Shore, Medas made special appearances on Fear Factor and Wild ‘n Out, and in recent years had turned his focus to wellness, regularly posting about his fitness and spiritual journey on Instagram.
“Lost a lot the past year but stayed resilient through it all,” he wrote in a March reel. “Mind, body, spirit. Changing my lifestyle completely was the start. Putting down the bottle and picking up the Bible was the best thing I [had] ever done. My only regret is not making such changes earlier on in life.”
But behind the scenes, Medas’ health was rapidly deteriorating. Hall and Prowant had been sharing emotional updates since his hospitalization, and Hall’s final tribute was especially raw.
"I know Kirk is watching over all of us now, just like he always did," she wrote. "Please, pray for his sweet mother—no mother should ever have to endure this kind of pain. And please keep everyone who loved him in your prayers. We are hurting, but we are holding on to the love he gave us."
"One sweet day, I know we’ll all be together again. Until then, I’ll miss him every single day."
Earlier in the week, Prowant had revealed the severity of the situation. “He is sedated and this could take some time to heal. We are praying that he has a full recovery but this process could take some time,” she wrote, noting that she had flown “back and forth to Miami” to be with him.
“I did fly down there and see him,” Prowant said in an Instagram reel. “It was one of the hardest things I’ve ever seen in my life.”
Hall also disclosed that Medas didn’t have medical insurance, which left his family facing overwhelming bills.
“His sweet, strong mother has created a GoFundMe to help with the overwhelming expenses,” she said, adding, “Please pray for Kirk. Pray for his mother. Pray for his friends. And pray for his castmates - we’re all hurting watching our brother fight this battle.”
Our thoughts go out to Medas' family, friends, and loved ones at this time.