According to reports, Kevin Samuels, a self-proclaimed relationship guru and image consultant who is particularly known for divisive, misogynistic remarks about black women, died on Thursday at the age of 56.
There were no immediate reports of Samuels' cause of death.
The death was confirmed by several media outlets, including REVOLT Black News, which cited reliable sources.
Melanie King, a close friend of Samuels, who is described as her female counterpart, said Thursday she received "family confirmation" that she had died the same day.
News of Samuels' death flooded social media timelines everywhere on Thursday afternoon, but initially did not prompt immediate verification of claims that he died.
His loyal followers asked for proof. As a result, Samuels' name became a top trending topic on Twitter on Thursday afternoon as people tried to settle the facts.
Plug Talk's Instagram account claimed that Samuels died of "cardiac arrest," but the post offered no verification.
Other Instagram accounts also linked to the same story without any confirmation.