The renowned American artist and internet personality Oliver Tree has been reported dead following a helicopter collision in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The incident, which occurred on Sunday morning, claimed the lives of all six individuals on board the two helicopters involved.
According to reports from several Brazilian media outlets, the accident occurred in the western zone of Rio de Janeiro. One of the helicopters reportedly crashed into a car dealership, where a fire broke out after several parked electric vehicles were set ablaze. The military fire department later confirmed that the fire was brought under control.
Authorities are currently investigating the cause of the collision.
Tree, who was in Brazil as part of his global music tour, was among those on board. A police source informed AFP that all victims, including Tree, were fatally injured in the crash, with their bodies too severely burned to allow immediate formal identification.
The passenger list from both helicopters reportedly included a Brazilian music producer, an Argentine video director, and Argentine YouTuber Gaspar Prim, also known online as Gaspi.
The helicopters collided mid-air in the Recreio dos Bandeirantes area before descending into the car park of an electric car dealership. Officials stated that one helicopter carried five passengers while the other had only the pilot onboard. Tragically, there were no survivors.
Oliver Tree, distinguished for his signature bowl haircut and quirky online persona, rose to fame with hits such as “Life Goes On”, “Miss You”, and “Alien Boy”.
He had garnered an impressive following, with more than 11 million monthly listeners on Spotify. His most-played tracks have collectively amassed over 700 million streams.
As part of his world tour, Tree had been scheduled to perform over 70 shows across 30 countries spanning seven continents. He had recently performed in Buenos Aires, Argentina, on June 4 and posted a video on Instagram just a day before the crash showcasing himself playing football in a Brazilian neighborhood.
Tree’s talents had not gone unnoticed on the global stage. In 2024, he was nominated for the International Song category at the Brit Awards alongside German producer Robin Schulz for their popular track “Miss You”, which peaked at #3 on the UK Singles Chart.
In addition to his musical pursuits, Tree achieved recognition for a rather unusual feat in 2020 — breaking the Guinness World Record for the largest kick scooter. The scooter measured 4.16 meters tall and 3.13 meters long. According to Guinness World Records, this accomplishment fulfilled what Tree described as “a lifelong dream.”
