The rise and fall of Garrett Bruno reads like a bad reality show script—only this time, there’s no season finale. The 33-year-old MAGA-loving social media influencer, infamous for his far-right rants and jet-set lifestyle, was found dead at his parents’ Florida home on March 4.
His death comes as he was awaiting trial for second-degree murder in the tragic killing of 83-year-old Esther Abouab. The elderly woman was fatally injured in a reckless car crash in West Hollywood last October, with Bruno allegedly running a red light while speeding, high on a cocktail of ketamine and GHB.
A once-rising social media star with over 60,000 followers, Bruno built his brand on sun-soaked selfies, conservative talking points, and unwavering support for Trump and VP JD Vance. But behind the curated beach snaps and MAGA-themed Instagram highlights, a darker reality was unraveling.
From Influencer to Inmate
Bruno’s legal troubles escalated after his alleged reckless driving took Abouab’s life and severely injured her husband. Just nine days after the crash, he was spotted in broad daylight—because subtlety was never his thing—snorting substances outside his West Hollywood home.
Then came the plot twist: in November, before police could slap the cuffs on him, Bruno got into a scooter accident, landed in a coma, and unknowingly delayed his own arrest. Officers eventually tracked him down in a hospital bed, arrested him in December, and he was later bailed out in January.
But just as his legal battle was heating up, Bruno’s story came to an abrupt end. The Orange County medical examiner is still investigating, but given his past, there’s no shortage of speculation surrounding the cause of death.
The Gay MAGA Paradox
Bruno embodied a curious contradiction—an openly gay man passionately backing a political movement that regularly attacks LGBTQ+ rights. It’s the same old paradox: sipping mimosas at a gay brunch while wearing a “Make America Great Again” hat. And now, with his sudden death, his online legacy is left in the hands of those who loved him, hated him, or just watched the spectacle unfold.
At the heart of this case lies a grim reality check: a life of privilege, a trail of reckless decisions, and a tragic ending that feels almost inevitable. Bruno may have built his platform on conservative ideologies, but in the end, even MAGA couldn’t save him from himself.