Wilmington, DE – A Delaware mother says her teenage son died after attempting a viral TikTok trend known as the “Blackout Challenge,” which allegedly encourages users to choke themselves until they lose consciousness. Now, his death is among several cited in a wrongful death lawsuit being weighed by a Delaware judge.
Michelle Ortiz, mother of 17-year-old Jaedon Bovell, said her son was attempting to “master” the dangerous challenge when he accidentally took his own life in 2020. “He had no idea it was going to kill him,” Ortiz told the Delaware News Journal last week outside a Wilmington courtroom where attorneys argued over whether to dismiss the case.
According to the lawsuit, Jaedon died from self-asphyxiation after wrapping a jiu-jitsu belt around his neck and tying it to his bunk bed. Ortiz said her son had become increasingly drawn to social media and the attention he received there, amassing more than 25,000 followers and becoming what she called “TikTok famous.”…