Shirley Raines, the viral “Beauty 2 The Streetz” activist who won millions of hearts by feeding, beautifying and championing the homeless, died of hypertensive heart disease, her family confirmed Wednesday.
Raines’s daughter, Danielle Williams, told PEOPLE magazine the news.
The 58-year-old was found unresponsive in her Nevada home on Jan. 27, triggering an outpouring of grief across communities she uplifted. The announcement brings an end to weeks of speculation regarding Raines’s sudden and unexpected passing.
Raines wasn’t your typical influencer. She had over 6 million followers across Instagram and TikTok, she transformed viral fame into a mission of compassion with Beauty 2 The Streetz — a nonprofit devoted to offering meals, hygiene supplies, beauty makeovers to people living on the streets, particularly in Los Angeles’s notorious Skid Row.
According to police and family accounts, officers conducted a wellness check at Raines’s Henderson home after her daughter grew concerned when she was unable to reach her. Responding officers found her unresponsive on her bed, with a “finished plate of food” and a white pill–likely her daily Prozac–according to reports obtained by PEOPLE.
The organization she built said in a statement that her legacy will live on through the countless lives she touched, highlighting the power of human connection through a meal, a makeover, and a message of dignity.
