Who was Joshua Blackledge? Girlfriend pays tributes as TikToker dies at 16

TikToker Joshua Blackledge has died at the age of 16.

The budding star met his untimely demise at his home in North Carolina on March 18, an online obituary reveals. At the time of writing, the exact cause of death remains unknown.

Joshua Blackledge, who had over 1 million followers on the platform, was most known for uploading clips of himself lip-syncing to trending songs or hanging out with his friends. He was a junior at West Carteret High School, his online obituary reveals, where he was involved in wrestling and track.

“He had a passion for the outdoors and loved being around water, whether fishing or boating with friends. He also had a love for cars and trucks," the page reads.

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Joshua Blackledge's life and legacy explored as girlfriend swears he wasn't bullied: Read more

Joshua Blackledge's girlfriend, Emmie Gillikin, has since penned a heartfelt tribute on social media since his passing:

"Missing this sweet boy right now. never would’ve thought I would have been here without you." She went on: "Josh showed me what love really was even [though] I'm very young. he never failed to put a smile on my face no matter how mad I was at him ... Even after these past couple days nothing seems real and I'm feeling all the emotions."

In another TikTok post, she slammed everyone speculating about her late boyfriend's demise and asserted that he had never been bullied:

"'Hey so the rumours going around about Josh are not true and people are taking it way too far, Josh was never bullied. Everyone always loved him as a friend and even just someone they knew so if you don't really know what happened then don't spread fake rumours."

As reported by The Mirror, one of Blackledge's pinned posts from November outlines how he met Gillikin. The pair had met two years prior, and had been dating for five months when he uploaded the video.

According to his online obituary, Joshua Blackledge liked helping his mom, Jackie Blackledge, with cooking, gardening, and yard work. He had

"an energetic spirit and was known for his entertaining nature, often impressing others with backflips."

The obituary also read,

"Joshua will be remembered by those who knew him for his enthusiasm and love for life. May his memory bring comfort to all who mourn his passing,"

Thousands of fans flooded the comments section of the online obituary with tributes and condolences.

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Joshua Blackledge's memorial was held on Sunday, March 2023, at Camp Albemarle in Newport. He leaves behind his parents, Jonathan and Jackie Blackledge, and brother, Josiah Blackledge. He shared his last video on TikTok on March 14.