Overview
- De Souza died on January 13 in Recife after weeks in care at Otavio de Freitas Hospital, according to local reports and family statements.
- Family members said one kidney failed first and the other around Christmas, followed by fluid accumulation in his lungs and cardiac arrest before haemodialysis could begin.
- Authorities have not yet issued a death certificate, and the precise medical cause has not been confirmed.
- Known as the “Brazilian Popeye,” he became famous for self-injecting mineral oil and alcohol to enlarge his biceps to about 29 inches, a practice doctors warned could cause severe harm.
- He previously said he had stopped the injections and cautioned others after a friend named Paulinho died; tributes noted he lived with his elderly mother, was unmarried, and had no children.