Influencer dies aged 27 after ‘choking on food eating dinner’

The mother-of-two was dining at a New York restaurant when tragedy struck.

Carol Acosta, 27, who goes by the Instagram handle @killadamente which boasts 6.6 million followers, was having a meal at a New York restaurant on Saturday when the meal she was eating went down the wrong way.

Acosta's sister Khatyan confirmed her death in an Instagram post shared to her 130,000 followers, showing the pair smiling while on an aeroplane.

In the caption, she wrote: “I love you sister and I will always love you.

“I give thanks to God for giving me a sister like you with your big heart," she added. Rest in peace my sister."

She followed it up with an emotional video, in which she said: "To all the people who are sending me messages of condolences, I want to thank you a lot for being there and for your support. And thank you also for supporting my sister while she was still alive."

Carol, who moved to the States from the Dominican Republic when she was 12, suffered bullying as a child because of her weight.

The large-size influencer decided to convert her pain into humour and built up a huge fan base with messages of self-acceptance and self-love.

She released a song in 2017 titled ‘Me Amo y No Me Importa’ - which in English translates as ‘I love myself and I don’t care.’

The lyrics of the song read: “I'm different, and they call me Killadamente. Even if I fall down I suddenly get up again.

"I'm brave, I'm a bit arrogant. I take care of myself a lot, because I'm the one who stands up for myself.”"

She became a plus-sized model for internationally-renowned fashion brand Fashion Nova, and appeared on a billboard in Times Square back in 2020 showcasing their clothing.

Autopsy results have yet to be received by Acosta's family, but it is believed she died from a suspected cardiorespiratory arrest following the unfortunate choking incident.

The social media star's 6.6million followers quickly flooded her recent post's comment section with heartfelt tributes.

One person commented: "You don't know the pain that this news has caused all of us who have been here since the beginning."

Another added: "Tell me it's not true what they're saying out there."

A third wrote: "I can't believe it, I'm still hoping it's fake," while another posted: "Your departure hurts me, you have taught us to love our bodies just as they are."