Filipino influencer Emman Atienza has died. She was 19.
“It’s with deep sadness that we share the unexpected passing of our daughter and sister, Emman,” a joint Thursday, October 23, Instagram statement from Atienza’s parents and siblings read. “She brought so much joy, laughter, and love into our lives and into the lives of everyone who knew her.”
Her relatives added, “Emman had a way of making people feel seen and heard, and she wasn’t afraid to share her own journey with mental health. Her authenticity helped so many feel less alone.”
Atienza’s parents further had a simple request for fans hoping to “honor Emman’s memory.”
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“We hope you carry forward the qualities she lived by: compassion, courage, and a little extra kindness in your everyday life,” they concluded.
Atienza died by suicide, according to the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner records viewed by Us Weekly.
Emman was the daughter of wellness entrepreneur Felicia Hung Atienza and TV host Kim Atienza, who also have two other children together.
While Felicia and Kim’s statement did not mention the cause of Emman’s death, the TikTok personality had previously been candid about struggling with her mental health.
“I came into 2024 [questioning] if I even wanted to live to see the end of it. I’ve dealt with treatment-resistant mental illness since I was 12,” Emman wrote in a January social media post. “In my eyes, I was only getting worse as the years progressed. For half of my teen years, I was bullied.”
She continued, “I vented and trauma-dumped to friends so often that they eventually grew tired of hearing it — understandably so. I lied to my therapist abut getting better because I was scared they’d be disappointed if I kept admitting that I didn’t want to live.”
Emman further revealed that she “relapsed in self-harm” on her birthday in 2024 before undergoing intensive therapy sessions in Los Angeles.
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“During that time, I processed past traumas and hit new lows,” she recalled. “I’d come back from therapy sessions screaming into my pillow or crying in the bathtub. … When I returned to the Philippines, I had a fresh perspective but low optimism and deep doubts about whether I could truly get better.”
At the same time, Emman also felt “determined to make changes” in her life.
“I cut off unhealthy habits, environments and relationships,” she explained. “I made slow but meaningful adjustments. I learned new coping mechanisms, grew stronger at enforcing my boundaries and, with that, developed more self-worth and confidence.”
Emman concluded, “For so long, I felt invisible [and] the belying convinced me I was damaged, inadequate and worthless. But now I see how wrong I was. I now understand how much I have to offer [and] I know who I am, feel secure in myself and am no longer swayed by others’ opinions.”
Emman had ultimately moved back to Los Angeles earlier this year.
If you or someone you know is struggling or in crisis, help is available. Call or text 988 or chat at 988lifeline.org.
