YouTube star Paul Harrell has passed away following a battle with pancreatic cancer. He was 58.
Harrell announced his own death on his channel, in a video titled “I’m Dead.”
The U.S. Army and Marine Corps. veteran explained he recorded the footage on December 20, 2023, and instructed his manager to “publish it upon my death,” He added, “So, if you’re watching me, I’m dead.”
Paul, whose channel focused on firearms reviews and gun safety, continued, “Now, a few months ago, I sat here on this log and told you I’d been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, and I told you they caught it early and we were going to be here for some time. Well, we did catch it early. but not as early as I had thought. It has spread faster than I thought it would.”
Gesturing to a crutch next to him, he said, “You may have seen me recently using this crutch and I told you I broke my hip, and I did break my hip, but it wasn’t because I was in any kind of accident. It was because the cancer spread to my bones, the bones crumbled, and my hip fractured and I fell down.”
He noted, “My time is growing very short… I had hoped I would continue in this format for the next 10 or even 15 years, and even once I was diagnosed I had hoped I would be here two or three more years. It has turned out to be only a few more months, and my apologies for that. It really makes me feel like I let everybody down.”
Harrell told fans, “I’m really glad to have had this opportunity to do all the stuff we’ve done. I really hope that it’s been helpful. I really appreciate you watching, commenting and participating.”
He closed by saying, “So, as always, don’t try this at home and thanks for watching.”
The video then cuts to his “heartbroken” brother, who shared, “It was his wish that I maintain his legacy through this channel. He will remain an inspiration to us all.”
His manager Brad Nelson closed the video by paying tribute to his “generous and kind” friend and asking fans to carry on Harrell’s legacy.
