Duda Alves (22) Dies Days After Breast Surgery

Brazilian TikToker Maria Eduarda Alves dos Santos, known as Duda Alves, has died at 22. Telegraf reports that she died on September 13, while B92, citing her own videos, indicates that roughly two weeks passed between her surgery and her death. The sources do not agree on the exact date of the procedure.

Duda had more than 800,000 followers on TikTok and Instagram. She posted videos about her everyday life and her relationship with her partner, along with, as Telegraf notes, comic clips about small things that annoyed her. She often described herself as “the girl who hates stuff.” Part of her content was devoted to her relationship with her boyfriend, which she discussed openly, with the same dry humor her followers came to know her for.

A few days before her death, Duda told her followers about her breast reduction surgery. In a video posted on September 9, she explained why she decided to have the procedure and responded to critics:

In the end I removed half of what I had.

According to Telegraf, she made the decision mainly for aesthetic reasons, so she could wear clothes without a bra and have more freedom. A day earlier, in another video, she said three weeks had passed since the surgery and described her recovery as agonizing: she was in severe pain, vomited frequently and cried.

The Federal District’s civil police, according to B92, which cites the magazine People, are investigating Duda’s death as a suicide. The Federal District is the administrative unit that includes Brasilia, Brazil’s capital. Police have not released further details, saying they are protecting the family’s privacy, so the official cause of death has not been made public. Neither Telegraf nor B92 has published the name of the clinic where the procedure was performed or an official confirmation of the exact date of the surgery, only what Duda herself said in her own videos.

The news hit her loved ones hard, and they have been sharing emotional tributes on social media. Her cousin Djovana Alves said goodbye with these words:

I had the privilege of having you in my life for 19 years! Those were the best 19 years of my life.

On her profile, she also wrote:

Laughter, silly fights, secrets, trips, conversations and so many dreams. I hope you know how loved you were. How loved you are. And that somehow you can feel all the love that’s left here.

Her friend Klarisa Pavi also said goodbye to Duda, writing about her inner beauty:

What a privilege it was to share a few years of my life with you, to watch you grow and change, and to be able to gather so many beautiful memories that will be everlasting, just like you. Thank you for changing my life and for holding my hand when I needed it.

Telegraf also quotes her close friend Sara Mahdavi, who asked for privacy for the family but still shared what Duda meant to her:

Besides being my best friend, Duda was family, love and everything that went beyond anything I could ever have imagined.

Duda Alves posted about her everyday life right up until her final days, including open conversations about her surgery and recovery. Her followers are now leaving messages of condolence under those same videos, while the official investigation in Brazil continues.