Joshua Blackledge, a 16-year-old TikTok sensation known for his car-themed content and charismatic presence, tragically passed away on March 18, 2025, at his residence in Newport, North Carolina. His untimely death has left a void among his over one million followers and the broader community.​

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Joshua Blackledge was a junior at West Carteret High School in Morehead City and participated significantly in track and wrestling. Beyond his sports, he was passionate about the outdoors and would frequently spend time boating and fishing with friends. His obvious love of cars was seen in his TikTok videos, which regularly featured his white BMW and, more lately, a new white truck. Joshua liked helping his mom take care of the yard, cook, and garden at home. His upbeat and lively style was well-known, and his backflips always amazed the crowd.

He had a lot of things about his beloved Emmie Gillikin. In early March, the pair celebrated being together for eight months. For Emmerie’s terrible loss, she wrote on social media, “Josh showed me what love ras… he never failed to put a smile on my face no matter how mad I was at him.” She also talked about how strange and hard her emotions were the days after he died.

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Social media and internet memorials have been inundated with condolent notes and recollections from supporters. “We always watched you but we never knew you, Josh,” one admirer said. We will always remember how nice and kind you looked. Another said, “Knowing that Joshua Blackledge is not here anymore breaks my heart; we all miss him so much.” Joshua’s family, friends, and fans gathered at Camp Albemarle in Newport on March 23 to celebrate his life. People who were close to him, like his parents and brother Josiah, will live on. There is no clue as to why Joshua Blackledge died. Death like this shows how short life is and how much one person can change the lives of many people around the world. There are many of them.