KiD CuDi has always been one to praise and show love to his fans, sharing photos and personal messaes with them on his Twitter page and blog. With the rapper-actor having such a close relationship with his fan base, it came as no surprise when he revealed this week that he “broke down” in tears over the death of his 18-year-old fan, Ben Breedlove, over the weekend.
According to MTV News, Breedlove, a native of Austin, Texas, suffered from a heart condition called hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, a disease that causes the heart muscles to enlarge, making it difficult to pump blood properly. Tragically, Breedlove died on Christmas day after suffering a fatal heart attack.
Breedlove became something of a YouTube sensation after posting a couple of videos in which he silently held up cards explaining his life with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy and explained how he “cheated death” three times, most recently in early December when EMT’s used shock pads to restart his stopped heart.
Breedlove explained that during his last brush with death, he had a vision of being in a white room with his “favorite rapper, KiD CuDi,” wearing white suits and feeling “happy and peaceful” and saying how he “couldn’t stop smiling.”
After watching the videos, a distraught KiD CuDi broke down in tears and later posted a heartfelt letter about Breedlove.
“I am so sad about Ben Breedlove. I watched the video he left for the world to see, and him seeing me in detail in his vision, really warmed my heart. I broke down, I am in tears because I hate how life is so unfair. This has really touched my heart in a way I can’t describe, this is why I do what I do. Why I write my life, and why I love you all so much. Life is really f—ed up sometimes, but I know Ben is at peace, and I hope he gets a chance to sit and talk with my Dad. We love you Ben. Forever. Thank you for loving me. To Ben’s family, you raised a real hero, he’s definitely mine. You have my love,” wrote CuDi, signing the post with his real name, Scott Mescudi.
It’s great to see CuDi pay tribute to his late fan and his family. Check out three other sentimental moments between artists and fans below.
–nicholas robinson
