Rumors recently circulated that car guru and YouTube celebrity Scotty Kilmer died. The stories began after a Facebook user posted that Kilmer’s wife had awoken to find the 69-year-old dead in bed. The gossip spread like a Tesla fire, and people began speculating how the straight-talking car expert might have died. However, the mechanic quickly put the rumors to rest.

Who is Scotty Kilmer?

Scotty Kilmer is a famous American YouTuber, auto mechanic, and author known for his car repair and review videos. With an estimated net worth of over $10 million, he’s among the most famous automotive enthusiasts on YouTube.

Kilmer was born in Niagara Falls, New York. At 14 years old, he began working on cars with his grandfather. He received an undergraduate degree from York University in Canada and a master’s from the University of Illinois.

On his way toward earning a Ph.D., Kilmer quit, citing dissatisfaction with the tenure system in the university. He moved to Houston in 1980 at 23 years old and worked as a mechanic like his grandfather. He later wrote a book, Everyone’s Guide to Buying a Used Car and Car Maintenance, upon his wife’s suggestion.

First published in 1994, the book put Kilmer on the front page of the largest newspaper in his hometown, the Houston Chronicle. The exposure attracted the attention of KHOU, a local CBS affiliate, where he began hosting the TV show Crank It Up With Scotty. In 2004, Kilmer received a Regional Emmy Award for Best Interactive Car Talk Host, HotCars reports.

How did he become famous?

After his time on KHOU, Kilmer’s popularity took off as he became one of the foremost automotive YouTubers. According to fans, the qualities that make him so beloved are his brusque, funny delivery and ease of interaction with followers. Another factor contributing to his success has been his regular creation of new content, giving his subscribers plenty of material to watch.

With every video posted on his channel, Scotty Kilmer seems to be adding more and more viewers. As of this writing, his channel has over 5 million subscribers and over a billion views, making him one of the world’s most popular automotive YouTubers.

The reports of Scotty Kilmer’s death have been greatly exaggerated

Rumors of Scotty Kilmer’s death began circulating in early 2020 after a Facebook user posted he had kicked the bucket. The post quickly went viral, with people speculating how and why he died. However, on July 12, a video appeared on his YouTube channel with the clickbait-y title “RIP Scotty Kilmer,” where he put the rumors to rest.

“I have to address this. The rumors of my death are largely an exaggeration,” he joked. “Somebody on Facebook posted that Scotty’s wife woke up and found him dead on the bed beside her. Well, that is news for me, too, because I wake up every morning.”

He also refuted the claim that his wife uploaded previously recorded videos of him to hide his death. Kilmer even showed the date on his phone to prove when he recorded the “RIP Scotty Kilmer” video. The clip has garnered over 1.5 million views and more than 6,000 comments, primarily from fans relieved that their favorite car enthusiast is still alive and kicking.

Why do some people hate Scotty Kilmer?

Though Scotty Kilmer put the death rumors to rest, some people continue to dislike the YouTuber and actively criticize him. However, it’s unclear why some people hate Kilmer and post negative comments on his videos.

According to fans, he’s genuine and has a great sense of humor. Kilmer even made a video where he addressed the haters, and it turned out how everyone expected:

“It doesn’t bother me anymore. I’m just out to help out as many people as possible, and I’m having a good time doing it.”