Lynn Yamada Davis, the beloved TikTok chef known for her “Cooking with Lynja” videos, has died.
Tim Davis, the TikToker’s youngest son, who edited her videos, announced her death in a video posted to the platform on Friday.
Davis amassed over 17 million TikTok followers for her quirky cooking videos that showed her dancing, making silly expressions and accentuating her instructions with explosive special effects. Davis also expanded her reach to YouTube and Instagram, where she had 9.62 million and 2.2 million followers, respectively.
“I’m super sad to inform you that unfortunately Lynja, my mom, has passed away,” Tim Davis said in the video. “Her final moments were super peaceful and thankfully she was surrounded by the people she loved most, her friends and family.”
Davis was 67. Her family did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
She died of esophageal cancer on Jan. 1, according to The New York Times. Davis previously shared her diagnosis in 2021. She was also diagnosed with throat cancer in 2019, which changed the sound of her voice.
Her TikTok page has been posthumously updated with new videos, so many fans were unaware that Davis had died. Tim Davis told The New York Times that his mother had asked him to post content that was already edited. Recent videos uploaded to her social media pages show her vlogging a recent trip to Italy.
Davis started making TikTok videos with her son Tim during Covid-19 lockdowns in 2020. She won two Streamy Awards in 2022 for best food creator and best editing.
Tim Davis shared in his video announcing his mother’s death that, beyond cooking, she loved traveling, running marathons and animals.
Davis is survived by her sons Tim and Sean Davis, daughters Hannah Mariko Shofet and Becky Steinberg, two grandchildren, her husband Keith Davis and her siblings Jay Yamada and Karen Dolce Yamada, according to The New York Times.
Sophie Anderson, a UK-based writer, is your guide to the latest trends, viral sensations, and internet phenomena. With a finger on the pulse of digital culture, she explores what’s trending across social media and pop culture, keeping readers in the know about the latest online sensations.
