Tex Kelly is grieving the loss of his father, John Kelly.
Tex, who created TikTok videos with his dad John at the handle @TexAndJohn, which had 2.7 million followers, shared with his fans on Monday, Aug. 9 that his dad had unexpectedly passed away at age 45. He expressed his grief on both the video-sharing app and Instagram.
"You'll always be my hero dad," Tex captioned his Instagram post. "I love and miss you so much. I know you're in a better place now, looking over us all. You were an amazing father, son, brother and friend to many."
He recalled first meeting John, who is not his biological father, as a 4-year-old, and asking if he was his dad: "You didn't know what to say but soon enough you became that man in mine and my brother's lives," the TikToker expressed. "I remember the first time I called you dad, I was so scared, your face was so shocked and happy."
Tex also remembered the great impact that John had on his life: "Dad you taught how me to read, how to throw a ball, to always love and work hard, and there's so many lessons learned that I'll carry my head up high with because of you. You worked so incredibly hard so we could have a good life."
He continued that he will "always cherish" moments with John. "You always believed in me," he said. "I'm proud to say that I'm John Kelly's son."
Tex, who regularly made prank videos and sketch videos with his dad, expressed his gratitude that John was able to share his vibrance with the TikTok community: "I'm especially grateful for all the amazing memories we've created over the years and for the moments we recorded this year. Your impact was in the millions whether it was making people laugh or seeing other fathers aspire to be someone like you."
Tex concluded, "I'll never give up knowing I've got you in my corner. I love you dad, I'll see you in eternity."
The social media star began a Go Fund Me campaign to cover "hospital bills and expenses."