TikTok star Cooper Noriega’s cause of death has been confirmed by a Los Angeles medical examiner six months after his death, multiple news outlets have reported.
The social media star’s body was found in the parking lot of a mall in Burbank, California on June 9. Paramedics were unable to revive him. He was 19 years old.
The Los Angeles medical examiner ruled that Noriega died from the combined effects of several drugs: fentanyl, lorazepam and alprazolam. The latter two are sedatives commonly known by the brand names Ativan and Xanax; they may be prescribed to treat anxiety and other conditions. The coroner said recent use of clonazepam, another anti-anxiety drug, also contributed to Noriega’s death.
The death was ruled an accident.
Hours before her death, Noriega posted a TikTok while lying in bed with the caption: “Who else does he think he wants! € young people”.
Four days earlier, he said he was creating a Discord account called “Coop’s Advice,” meant to be a safe space to discuss addiction and mental illness. He also spoke about his struggles with addiction which he says started when he was 9 years old.
“I’d like to use the influence I’ve been given to create a space built around spreading awareness and normalizing conversations about mental illness,” she wrote in an Instagram post. “My goal is to finally open a rehabilitation center where people are not traumatized at the end of recovery and where the staff is made up of trustworthy people.”
Noriega’s TikTok account is followed by more than 3.2 million users.
Since his death, his family has posted on his Instagram account that they plan to make his vision of the Coop Tip a reality.
“We will continue to spend the rest of our lives completing everything Cooper has ever dreamed of. We will honor his legacy forever,” the family said in a statement in June. “Our beautiful boy, we love you forever.”
The family established the Coop’s Advice Foundation, which aims to “become a leader in the movement to rethink how our society understands and approaches mental health and addiction, particularly among GenZ members.”
“Coop’s life and work have shone a light on the urgent need to destigmatize addiction and support comprehensive mental health, and Councilor Coop will ensure that light continues to shine,” the foundation’s website states.
Need help with substance use disorders or mental health issues? In the United States, call 800-662-HELP (4357) for SAMHSA National Helpline.
