Maria Rita Rodrigues da Silva, a popular Brazilian influencer known online as Maria Rita, has passed away.
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The 25-year-old died on Feb. 21, according to PEOPLE. However, a friend revealed that Rodrigues’s death was unexpected, sharing on Instagram that they had been in the studio together the day before and had even made plans.
“Not even 24 hours later, you were gone,” she shared. “It was 10 years of a friendship that will never be the same again, you were the sister I never had.”
Based in São Bernardo do Campo, Brazil, the beloved content creator had over 11,000 Instagram followers and 65,000 on TikTok. She was known for sharing fashion and beauty content, including reviews and makeup tutorials.
Luana Lilian, a friend and fellow content creator, mourned Rodrigues in a Feb. 22 Instagram tribute. Lilian remembered her as a “charming person” and “one of those presences that effortlessly illuminate a room.”
“To the family, I send my most sincere and heartfelt embrace,” she continued. “May you find strength in the love she planted in every person who had the privilege of knowing her. Her light remains in every memory, in every story told, in every life she touched — including mine.”
Maria Rita Rodrigues da Silva Shared Her Final Social Media Post Just Days Ago
Meanwhile, the post has become a place for her fans to share their grief in the comments section.
“I’m shocked. You were my inspiration as an influencer. Every post was special and unique. Strength to all the family,’ one fan wrote in the comments section.
A graphic shared on Rodrigues’s Instagram Stories revealed that her family held a funeral on Feb. 22, followed by a burial the next day in São Bernardo do Campo.