Georgia TikTok star ‘Marquay the Goat’ dies at 24

Marquay Collins, a Muscogee County resident who rose to prominence on TikTok with humorous videos — many of them about food and cars — died Wednesday. He was 24.

Muscogee County Coroner Buddy Bryan told WTVM in Columbus that emergency responders were called because Collins was having trouble breathing. When they arrived, they found the 24-year-old unconscious and unresponsive. Bryan did not provide additional information, and the cause of death remains under investigation.

According to WTVM, sources familiar with the situation said Collins had complained of head and neck pain in the days leading up to his death. In a Nov. 8 video, Collins filmed the aftermath of a car accident he was involved in on a highway “in the middle of Atlanta.” Another vehicle, he said, rear-ended his car hard.

“My head is killing me … it’s throbbing so hard,” he said.

Collins began posting on TikTok in 2019, as a teenager. As of Thursday morning, his follower count on the popular video-sharing platform had passed the 7 million mark. Collins shared videos under the handle “marquaythegoat.”

The 24-year-old frequently featured his mother, Sonja Collins, in his posts.

On Wednesday, she said via Instagram that her son’s passing had left her heartbroken.