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Popular YouTube animator hotdiggedydemon has revealed that he intends to travel to Switzerland to seek an assisted death, citing chronic illness, unexplained health problems, and financial difficulties.
Max Gilardi, better known online as hotdiggedydemon, has amassed more than 2.1 million YouTube subscribers through animated series including PONY.MOV, Jerry, and Brain Dump. He began uploading animations to Newgrounds in the 2000s before establishing his YouTube channel.
Gilardi previously announced in 2024 that he had been diagnosed with fibromyalgia, a condition that forced him to scale back his animation work and focus more heavily on livestreaming.
According to the CDC, fibromyalgia can cause widespread pain, fatigue, sleep problems, and mental distress. There is currently no cure, although its symptoms can be managed through medication, therapy, and other treatments.
Hotdiggedydemon says decision is not immediate
During the opening of his August 1 livestream, titled A Perfectly Normal Stream, Gilardi played a prerecorded statement explaining his health and his plans for the future.
The animator described experiencing constant fatigue, widespread muscle and joint pain, difficulty sleeping, problems regulating his body temperature, shortness of breath, and severe cognitive fog.
Gilardi also discussed an unexplained condition he calls “slobbermouth,” which he said causes constant saliva and mucus production, affects his speech, and makes livestreaming increasingly difficult. He stressed that his speculation about possible neurological damage was not a medical diagnosis.
Gilardi said repeated medical tests had been inconclusive and claimed he could no longer afford further appointments after accumulating medical bills and credit card debt. He also said his declining health made it impossible to return to conventional employment and increasingly difficult to continue streaming.
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Animator and YouTuber hotdiggedydemon explains why he’s considering doctor assisted euthanasia
(Via hotdiggedydemon on YT) pic.twitter.com/iyMVqfEKq6
— yeet (@Awk20000) August 2, 2026
After considering his situation for more than a year, Gilardi said he had settled on what he repeatedly called “doctor-assisted euthanasia.”
He explained that he was considering crowdfunding enough money to remain in his apartment for another year while sorting through his belongings and arranging care for his pet before traveling. No fundraiser has been launched at the time of writing.
Gilardi emphasized that the decision was not immediate, telling viewers: “I’m not dead right now, and I won’t be dead tomorrow.”
He suggested he could continue streaming for another year or two, but did not reveal a fixed date, name an assisted-dying organization, or say that he had submitted an application.
Gilardi also acknowledged that some of the information he had found about Switzerland could be incorrect.
Switzerland’s Federal Office of Justice states that active euthanasia remains illegal. Swiss law instead permits assisted suicide under certain circumstances, meaning the person seeking to die must perform the final act themselves. This makes viral descriptions of Gilardi undergoing “physician-assisted euthanasia” legally inaccurate.
