OAN Staff Lillian Mann
1:44 PM – Monday, June 15, 2026
A helicopter crash killed comedic singer-songwriter Oliver Tree and five others in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, after it collided with another helicopter and plummeted into a car dealership lot, officials said.
Because of the singer’s well-known history of elaborate public pranks and performance art, many fans initially hoped the news was a hoax or a publicity stunt. However, aviation manifests and statements from the Rio de Janeiro Civil Police have confirmed the tragedy.
On Sunday morning, the 32-year-old singer boarded the helicopter along with five others in Recreio dos Bandeirantes, the Southwest zone of Rio de Janeiro, according to CNN.
Surveillance footage released by Rio de Janeiro’s Military Fire Department shows the aircraft spinning out of control after the collision and crashing into a car dealership lot, where 20 vehicles subsequently caught fire. Images from the aftermath show the aircraft completely destroyed on the ground, surrounded by crushed and burned-out cars in the lot.
Notably, witness Fernandes de Freitas alleged that one person was seen jumping from one of the helicopters before they collided, according to NBC News.
Born in Santa Cruz, California, Oliver Tree Nickell was known for his eccentric personality and signature bowl cut hairstyle. He began making music as a teenager before going viral in 2016 for his hit song “When I’m Down.”
The other victims include passengers Lucas Vignale, Gaspar Prim (also known as Argentinian YouTuber Gaspi), Lucas Brito Chaves, and pilot Alexandre Souza. The only person in the other helicopter, an Airbus H125, was 60-year-old pilot Charles Marsillac.
Officials say that the cause of the collision is still under an ongoing investigation.
The tragic crash followed not long after Oliver Tree shared his financial plans outlined in his will in April, during a podcast taping of the “Zach Sang Show.”
“I don’t believe that any of the wealth, or the things that get made from it, is mine. So when I die, my will is set up that when I pass, my family, no one’s going to get a penny,” he said during the show. “If I have a wife, kids, [they’re] not getting a f***ing penny. [But] I’ll get my kids through college. That’s the agreement. But there’s not going to be a silver spoon. They’re taken care of because my dad worked on some stuff in the 2000s. The idea is, when I die, all the money is going to go back to artists,” he said at the time.
Tree also shared how he had set up a foundation called “Dr. Oliver Tree’s Art Grants for Baby Geniuses” to collect the interest made from his music career. During that interview, Oliver explained his logic: he anticipated that his music, videos, and intellectual property would see a significant jump in value and generate substantial residual income after his death. The foundation is set up so that this ongoing revenue streams into the fund.
“But there’s also room for other money, because when I die, my art will have residual value and will probably be worth more than it is now,” he continued. “People will finally appreciate my stupid f***ng videos and my stupid f***ing songs. That’s when people appreciate you, when you’re not there anymore.”
Tree noted that the money he made from his foundation will specifically go toward “the physical making of art.” To keep the funds aligned with the mission, Tree established a voting committee consisting of his longtime close friends, directors, and musical collaborators. This group will vote annually on which emerging artists receive the grants.
“I have basically a committee that I’ve set up when I pass, and I plan to do it while I’m alive, where everyone will vote on who the money goes to each year, and it will be in the spirit of the Oliver Tree project.”
Tree was in South America for his “The World’s First World Tour.” He had just done a show in São Paulo on June 6th and was scheduled to perform in Lisbon on July 13th.
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