American TikTok star John Kelly has died.
Kelly and his son, Tex Keith, emerged as stars on the video sharing platform thanks to regular posts chronicling their amusing interactions around the family home. Their account, texandjohn, has 2.5 million followers with videos regularly racking up hundreds of thousands of views.
Keith confirmed his father's passing in a statement issued to Newsweek.
"My dad was an incredible man who touched the hearts of millions whether he was making people laugh or helping fathers aspire to be the type of dad he was to my brother and I," he said.
"My family is in a world of pain right now but appreciate the love and support from so many who feel from this loss as well. I'm glad so many people got to see my dad, he lived a life worth living."
The comments came just hours after Keith posted a video to TikTok via their official account paying a heartfelt tribute to his father.
"You'll always be my hero. Until next time Dad. I love you so much," he wrote alongside the clip.
The video, which features previously recorded clips of Kelly, begins with the caption "Rest in peace dad, I love you."
In the accompanying video, Keith is shown walking out of the room preparing to leave with a packed bag before stopping, turning back and asking his dad: "What if I fail?"
The camera cuts to Kelly, responding: "Pick yourself up and do it again."
They share a hug before Kelly heads over to a kitchen counter and begins watching something on a tablet.
It then cuts to several clips, selected from some of the duo's most popular videos, showing the pair play-fighting, listening to music in a car, playing pranks on one another and hugging.
The video concludes with a slideshow featuring pictures of Keith, Kelly and the rest of their family.
@texandjohn You’ll always be my hero. Until next time Dad. I love you so much❤️
♬ My Old Man - Zac Brown Band
Keith's touching TikTok tribute can be viewed here.
Kelly's son has set up a Go Fund Me page to help cover the costs of his late father's medical bills and funeral expenses.
"Dad's passing was a surprise to us all and something that we will be feeling the toll of for a very long time," Keith wrote.
"John Kelly lived an amazing life, full of hard work and love. He was never negative and as many of you have experienced personally with him, he was always someone you wanted to be around because he made you feel special and loved. He was a great father, son, brother, and friend to countless people."
"My family and I are absolutely devastated by his passing and while we are trying to still process all of this, life is unapologetically continuing all around us with hospital bills and expenses."
At the time of writing, more than $12,000 had been donated to the page, with an initial fundraising target of $15,000 in place.
As well as being a social media star, John Kelly was also the co-owner of Humboldt Construction.
The official cause of his death has not been publicly disclosed.
