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Oliver Tree Dead at 32 After Helicopter Crash in Brazil
A tragedy has struck the music industry.
Singer Oliver Tree was among six killed in a helicopter crash over Rio de Janeiro on June 14, the local Civil Police confirmed to CNN Brazil. He was 32 years old.
According to Rio de Janeiro’s Military Fire Department, two helicopters collided in the air and then fell into the parking lot of a car dealership—leading to at least 20 vehicles catching on fire.
The fire department confirmed one aircraft contained five victims while the second aircraft contained a single victim, all of whom were found dead. The victims were taken to the Afrânio Peixoto Forensic Medical Institute in Rio de Janeiro, the fire department continued, and the official identification of the victims will be handled by the victims and Civil Police.
The cause of the accident is being investigated. To learn more about Tree and what’s been shared about the helicopter crash so far, read on.
Who Was Oliver Tree?
Born in 1993 and raised in Santa Cruz, Calif., Tree (full name Oliver Tree Nickell) was drawn to music at an early age. In 2013, he released his EP Demons, featuring his viral cover of Radiohead’s "Karma Police." Three years later, he took the internet by storm again by dropping "Forget It" with Getter as well as "When I’m Down" with Whethan.
Soon after, Tree signed with Atlantic Records and went on to release his EP Alien Boy followed by several albums—including Ugly Is Beautiful, Cowboy Tears and Alone in a Crowd—as well as popular songs like "Miss You" and "Life Goes On." Tree dropped his last album—Love You Madly Hate You Badly—in April 2026 and embarked on a world tour the following month, stopping in São Paulo, Brazil June 6.
In addition to being known for his music, Tree drew attention for his personas.
"I’d already spent the bulk of my existence on Earth making music and no one was listening to it," he told Billboard in 2023. "No one cared. And I was like, 'Wow, this actually working. This is bigger than my music.' All I did was just show up looking stupid, and I think it’s a mirror that I was setting up of society, and how dumb things have gotten in a lot of ways but also experimentation is kind of the birth of invention and trying to make something that hasn’t been done a million times."
Photo by John Nacion/WireImage
How Did Oliver Tree Die?
According to CNN Brazil, citing the Civil Police, Tree was among the six victims in a fatal helicopter coll. Rio de Janeiro’s Military Department said it was deployed around 9:00 a.m. on June 14 to respond to a crash on Avenida das Américas in the neighborhood of Recreio dos Bandeirantes.
Per the fire department, two helicopters crashed in the air and then fell into the parking lot of a car dealership—resulting in at least 20 vehicles catching fire. The department confirmed that six people were killed in the accident and taken to the Afrânio Peixoto Forensic Medical Institute in Rio de Janeiro.
Police told the Associated Press that Tree was on a list of passengers given to aviation authorities but that they have not been able to identify the bodies of the victims.
Who Else Besides Oliver Tree Died in the Helicopter Crash?
While authorities have not officially released the names of the victims, CNN Brazil reported one helicopter contained four passengers and a pilot while the other aircraft contained a single pilot. In addition to Tree, the outlet listed Gaspi—a content creator from Argentina—among the passengers. Argentine streaming channel Blender also stated that Gaspi (real name Gaspar Prim Díaz) was in a helicopter, per the AP.
Who Has Paid Tribute to Oliver Tree?
Zedd posted a throwback photo of himself with Tree and captioned it, "Rest easy, brother.” Getter also paid respect to Tree, calling him "the definition of a best friend."
"We started music at the same time and helped each other out til the very end," the rapper wrote on Instagram June 14, "but even before all that Oliver was the greatest friend I could ask for. He always made time to catch up w me no matter how busy he was. I have countless stories with him from when we were teenagers, working our asses off to try and make it in music. Oliver made that journey so much more enjoyable because he would always stop to smell the flowers."
Recalling how Tree "helped me out of so many dark places so many times" and was "truly a light in my life," Getter concluded, "I love you and Id be nothing without you brother. Oliver tree forever."
In addition, Tree's ex Melanie Martinez shared she was an "absolute wreck" after hearing the news.
"It's really hard to understand how someone you once shared such a specific and formative time of your life with can all of a sudden be gone," the fellow musician wrote on Instagram Stories June 14. "He was so dedicated to his art which I admired and respected so deeply. I think everyone who knew him will look back at those moments of laughter and joy he so easily sparked. His laugh was so contagious and warm."
Martinez also recalled how Tree's "ability to lead creatively and take action while also maintaining a sense of childlike wonder and awe was so inspiring."
"He had such a soft heart and was a true artist in every way," she added. "Rest in peace Oliver. I know you're making the angels giggle. I'll be here wondering what stunt and creative project you're scheming up in heaven. All my love."
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