What Happened To James Somerton? The Controversial YouTuber's Death Rumors Explained

Content Warning: Portions of this article make mention of suicide, which some may find difficult or upsetting. If you need support or are dealing with suicidal thoughts, please contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline's website or call 1-800-273-8255.

Late last year, the HBomberguy vs. James Somerton Plagiarism Scandal erupted online. Ever since then, it hasn't quite gone out of the public eye. But sometimes there are very real consequences to online debates, and this may be one of those times.

Unfortunately, it seems there's been a tragic end to the viral takedown of James Somerton. Here's everything to know (so far) about James Somerton's alleged suicide.

Update from March 11th, 2024: James Somerton is reportedly alive and physically safe.

What Is The James Somerton Plagiarism Scandal?

On December 2nd, 2023, YouTuber HBomberguy posted a nearly four-hour video exposing allegations of plagiarism against popular YouTube video essayist James Somerton. The video has since earned over 17 million views.

Ever since then, people have called for justice. They want Somerton's sources to be credited, particularly the smaller YouTube channels that inspired his videos. In their eyes, Somerton did not provide an appropriate response or attempt to ameliorate the situation, including his apology video, which was widely disliked.

But over time, those who hated Somerton might have gotten carried away. The /r/hbomberguy subreddit began to fill with anti-Somerton posts, and a whole different subreddit devoted to hating on Somerton (which was deleted yesterday) was created. It seemed many were directly targeting Somerton, even four months after the original controversy.

What Happened To James Somerton?

On March 4th, 2024, James Somerton posted a suicide note to his X account:

If this message is live it means I scheduled it before ending things. I have videos scheduled to go out over the next couple of days. Nothing new. I just wanted Nick's portfolio of work to be available. I've left directions that any money from those videos be donated to The Canadian Association for Suicide Prevention. They've tried very hard to pull me back but there's simply no life for me anymore. I've lost everything… My only friend, my livelihood, my name… And it's all my own fault. The world will be a little better off now. Goodbye.

Since then, people have not been able to contact Somerton, including HBomberguy and his team. It is currently unknown whether or not Somerton has passed, but there is not yet any information to suggest otherwise. It's led to widespread concern and criticism of the HBomberguy fanbase ever since.

How Are People Reacting To Somerton's Alleged Death?

People are very worried about Somerton's well-being. Some are regretting treating Somerton the way they did. Many are trying to blame HBomberguy for allegedly "leading the charge" against Somerton. Many are also defending HBomberguy.

Ultimately, no one knows what happened to James Somerton. There have been no updates on his social media, which has been private ever since the scandal. Unfortunately, the note he posted does look very real. Thousands are keeping up with the news and hoping he is found alive.

Is James Somerton Alive?

(Updated) On March 6th, Somerton's associate Nick responded to the news on Bluesky, claiming there was "nothing to worry about." This led many to believe Somerton was alive, but some also questioned the validity of Nick's account and his claims due to the low engagement with the tweet.

On May 11th, the news was backed up by Kat from the HBomberguy team, who announced that she'd received some information from the welfare check. She stated in a comment that the team had received word that Somerton was "currently alive and physically safe," but no further information would be released by the HBomberguy team for privacy reasons.

While there isn't much available information as to Somerton's whereabouts or health, it appears, thankfully, that he is alive.

For the full history of James Somerton's alleged death, be sure to check out Know Your Meme's encyclopedia entry for more information.