Josh Richards is coming under fire after Treva Noriega, the mother of late TikTok star Cooper Noriega, hit out at a clip of Richards poking fun at Cooper’s crop top.
Josh Richards is a prominent TikToker and co-host for the popular entertainment podcast ‘BFFs,’ alongside Barstool president Dave Portnoy and influencer Brianna Chickenfry.
During a previous episode of the podcast, late TikToker Cooper Noriega appeared as a guest, in which he wore a cropped graphic tee that showed off his midriff.
Noriega took a bit of ribbing from the BFFs hosts due to his attire, with Dave Portnoy notably saying, “You can’t be a normal person and wear what he’s wearing.”
Noriega put on an oversized hoodie following these comments, causing some fans to speculate that the late influencer felt “bullied” by the hosts’ attitude toward his clothing.
A clip from this segment of the podcast has gone viral online, set to sad music with a focus on Noriega’s reaction to Richards and Portnoy’s comments — but the TikToker’s family isn’t happy that the short video is making the rounds on social media.
Cooper Noriega’s mother lashes out at Josh Richards over crop top comments
Cooper’s mother, Treva Noreiga, spoke out against the clip in a comment on TikTok, where she also claimed that Richards should feel “ashamed” for what he said about her son’s clothing.
Subscribe to our newsletter for the latest updates on Esports, Gaming and more.
“I hate this is still being shown,” Treva wrote. “This breaks me, and Josh should feel ashamed. Cooper loved him as a friend!”
While clips from this broadcast are still available on the BFFs YouTube channel, the full episode has since been removed. Comments on a segment from the podcast are in full support of Noriega, with users lashing out at Richards and Portnoy for how they treated the show’s guest.
“Josh and Dave literally grilled this man, [this] was messed up,” one commenter said. “They were so harsh and insensitive, and it really shows. The animosity Josh has built up inside is crazy. I hope everyone can forgive each other.”
“This is absolutely disgusting and so very disrespectful,” another wrote. “Y’all just made fun of him for being himself and being confident and comfortable in his body and clothing. Absolutely. Disgusting. Disrespectful. Fly high Cooper, we love you so much.”
Cooper Noriega passed away in June 2022 at the age of 19 due to “combined effects of alprazolam, fentanyl and lorazepam” and “recent clonazepam use,” according to authorities.
Fans continue to show their love and support to Noriega and his family in the months following his death.