Vegan influencer Zhanna Samsonova, known as Zhanna D’Art on social media, has reportedly passed away at 39 years old. Her friends and family claim she died of starvation after exclusively consuming exotic fruit in Malaysia.
“Zhanna’s idle stagnation was causing her to melt before our eyes, but she believed everything was fine,” her friend said. “Only her eyes, merry eyes, and gorgeous hair compensated for the dreadful sight of a body tortured by idiocy. Forgive me if it sounds harsh.”
Samsonova promoted raw foods on platforms like TikTok, Facebook, and Instagram, where she had millions of followers.
Local media reports suggest that she sought medical help during her Southeast Asia tour, but her official cause of death is yet to be declared. Her mother mentioned a “cholera-like infection” as a possible contributing factor.
For the past four years, Samsonova followed a completely raw vegan diet, mainly consisting of fruits, sunflower seed sprouts, fruit smoothies, and juices. A friend revealed that for the last seven years, she only ate giant sweet jackfruit and durian, which have custardy meat and a strong smell.
“A few months ago, in Sri Lanka, she already looked exhausted, with swollen legs oozing lymph,” her friend said. “They sent her home to seek treatment. However, she ran away again. When I saw her in Phuket, I was horrified.”
“I lived one floor above her and every day I feared finding her lifeless body in the morning. I convinced her to seek treatment, but she didn’t make it,” her friend added.
The influencer was inspired to adopt her raw foods regimen after seeing others who appeared older than their age due to unhealthy eating habits. She used social media to spread her raw diet philosophy, but some of her friends believe that her food choices contributed to her untimely death.
“I see my body and mind transform every day,” Samsonova claimed. “I love my new me, and never move on to the habits that I used to use.”
“I eat simple food, although I have a lot of experience as a raw food chef. I love creating my own recipes and inspiring people to eat healthier,” she added.
While a raw foods diet can have benefits like weight loss and improved heart health, it also has downsides if not well planned. Healthline mentions potential deficiencies in calcium, Vitamin D, and Vitamin B12, which can lead to health issues such as anemia, nervous system damage, infertility, and heart disease.
Despite the concerns surrounding her diet, some of her followers refuse to believe that it caused her death, speculating that chemicals in the fruit might be responsible.
Samsonova’s family is awaiting a medical report and death certificate to determine the exact cause of her passing.
It’s essential to be cautious when following extreme diets and consult professionals for a balanced approach to nutrition.
In a related case, a vegan mother from Florida, Sheila O’Leary, was sentenced to life in prison last year for feeding her 18-month-old son only small amounts of fruits and vegetables, leading to his death.
