David D’Amato, the main subject of the 2016 documentary Tickled, died suddenly on March 13, 2023, at the age of 55. His obituary was published in The New York Times, but it did not reveal the cause of his death. Who was David D’Amato and what led to his demise?
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The Tickle King: A Controversial Figure
Tickled is a documentary film by New Zealand journalists David Farrier and Dylan Reeve, who investigate the world of “competitive tickling” videos. These videos feature young men who are strapped down and tickled by other men for money. Farrier and Reeve discover that the company behind these videos, Jane O’Brien Media, is run by a mysterious figure named David D’Amato.
D’Amato is portrayed as a cyberbully and a manipulator, who uses various aliases and legal threats to coerce and harass the participants of the videos. He also allegedly has a history of sexual abuse and fraud, dating back to his days as a school counselor in New York. He was arrested in 2001 for impersonating a lawyer and creating a fake online persona named Terri Tickle, who recruited young men for tickling fetish videos.
Farrier and Reeve confront D’Amato in the film, but he denies any involvement with Jane O’Brien Media or the tickling videos. He also sues the filmmakers for defamation, along with several other lawsuits against former participants and critics of his activities. However, none of these lawsuits are successful, and D’Amato is exposed as the mastermind behind the tickling empire.
The Cause of Death: A Heart Attack
According to The Spinoff, a New Zealand news website, D’Amato died due to atherosclerotic and hypertensive cardiovascular disease. He had a heart attack. Other contributing factors were diabetes and obesity. The Spinoff obtained this information from a death certificate issued by the Clark County Coroner’s Office in Nevada, where D’Amato lived.
The death certificate also reveals that D’Amato was divorced and had no children. He worked as an attorney for his father’s law firm, D’Amato & Lynch. His father, George D’Amato, was a founding partner of the firm and died in 1995. His mother, Brenda D’Amato, died in 2012.
The Aftermath: A Mixed Legacy
D’Amato’s death came as a shock to many people who knew him or followed his story. Farrier and Reeve released a statement on their website, expressing their sadness and compassion for D’Amato. They said that they hoped he would come to terms with his troubles at some point, and that they wanted to portray him not just as an online bully, but as a person.
However, they also acknowledged that he had caused a lot of harm and pain to many people over the years, especially the young men who were exploited and abused by his tickling scheme. Some of these men spoke out after his death, saying that they felt relieved or vindicated by his passing. Others said that they felt sorry for him or wished him peace.
D’Amato’s death also raised questions about the future of Jane O’Brien Media and the tickling videos. According to IndieWire, a film news website, Farrier and Reeve received an email from Jane O’Brien Media after D’Amato’s death, claiming that they were still in business and that they had nothing to do with D’Amato. However, the filmmakers doubted the authenticity of this email, and suspected that it was another attempt by D’Amato’s associates to cover up his involvement.
D’Amato’s death also sparked renewed interest in Tickled, which was released on HBO in February 2023. The film was followed by a short sequel called The Tickle King, which showed D’Amato’s confrontation with Reeve at a screening of the film in Los Angeles. The film received critical acclaim and won several awards, including the Grand Jury Prize at the Sundance Film Festival.
Conclusion: A Fascinating Mystery
David D’Amato’s life and death are both fascinating and mysterious. He was a man who lived a double life, hiding behind various identities and secrets. He was also a man who had a bizarre obsession with tickling young men, which led him to create a multimillion-dollar industry that exploited and terrorized many people. He was also a man who faced legal challenges and public exposure, but never admitted his guilt or apologized for his actions.
His death leaves behind many unanswered questions and unresolved issues. What motivated him to do what he did? How did he manage to evade justice for so long? What will happen to his tickling empire now that he is gone? These are some of the questions that may never be answered, but will continue to intrigue and haunt those who knew him or watched his story unfold.
