Tragedy has once again struck the YouTube community.
Samantha Rabinowitz, known on social media by her account name "Here for the Tea," has died, her sister confirmed online. "It is with a heavy heart and the most extreme sadness that I am sharing this news," Lisa Greenspoon wrote online. "My baby sister Sam @hereforthetea2 has passed away. She passed peacefully in her sleep yesterday." Further details surrounding her untimely death have not been confirmed.
Rabinowitz last tweeted to her followers on Nov. 2 to address her recent social media absence. "Hey guys, as some of you have noticed, I've been away from socials for a bit," she wrote at the time. "I received some devastating news recently and I just kinda want to be offline for a while. Thank you to everyone who has reached out to see if I'm okay. It truly means so much to me."
She later shared an update on Instagram, promising fans she would be posting on Monday, Nov. 8. "Thanks for all the kind messages," she added, "and thanks for your patience."
News of her passing quickly spread through the influencer community, spurring prominent social media personalities to share tributes to Rabinowitz.
"I cant even begin to describe my feelings right now," YouTuber MannyMUA tweeted on Nov. 8. "I cant process this, when sams sister called me earlier and told me the news my heart truly shattered. sam i love you so much and you will be so missed. thank you for being such an amazing friend to me @HereForTheTea2 RIP."
Fellow YouTube star Laura Lee told E! News, "I was extremely devastated to hear the news of my good friend Samantha passing. She was a sweet, dear friend who was always extremely supportive of me and such a joy to talk to. I am so grateful she was a part of my life and so saddened by her passing. I'm sending prayers and love to her family members and loved ones."
Beauty guru Tati Westbrook was equally taken by the unexpected news, tweeting, "I'm in total shock finding out about the loss of @HereForTheTea2 Praying for her family & loved ones This doesn't feel real at all..."
Since joining YouTube in 2016, Rabinowitz amassed nearly 400,000 subscribers and more than 58 million views on YouTube by, as she described in her channel's description, "bringing you today's popular YouTube guru/celebrity tea." While she built a devoted audience, the late star maintained her privacy and instead kept the spotlight on the YouTube community.
"I'm devastated to hear about the passing of @HereForTheTea2 I love you Sam," social media star Jackie Aina tweeted. "This particularly hurts because Sam was genuinely one of the good ones who made social media less shitty. at a time when it was REALLY shitty. she was sweet, she was no BS and you couldn't put a price on her integrity. Ever. I never even met her but she'd ride for me & vice versa. She can never be replaced, and I'm really going to miss her."