ONE Championship MMA star Angela Lee is asking fans, media and Instagram commenters to stop circulating “conspiracy theories” regarding the death of her sister, Victoria Lee.
In an Instagram post on Jan. 14, Angela, 26, thanked ONE Championship and its founder and CEO Chatri Sityodtong for creating a video tribute for her sister.
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“This video is just a short clip of the beautiful, brilliant, kind and hardworking person Victoria was,” Angela wrote. “She was down to earth, with unshakable determination and a heart of gold.”
The rising MMA star died on Dec. 26, 2022, at the age of 18, as confirmed by Angela in an Instagram post on Jan. 7.
The Lee family has not disclosed the cause of death. As no specifics were given, theories surrounding her death began circulating online following the news, prompting other fighters such as UFC fighter Dan Ige to call them out.
“Give them freaking respect because that’s their tragedy. That’s their loss. It’s all of our losses,” Ige told Insider, noting that while he never knew Victoria, he knew her family, including her father, Angela and Angela’s husband.
I just pray that people give [the Lee family] respect because, on social media, everyone wants to come up with the conspiracy [that] it was the vaccine, or was it mental health. Was it this? Was it that? But whoever’s even coming up with these conspiracies, give them some respect.
Angela also asked people to stop hiring private investigators and reaching out to her family.
“I ask that you respect our wishes to not give any further public statements,” she wrote in her recent Instagram post. “Stop contacting us, stop hiring private investigators, stop with the conspiracy theories. Please show some respect and give us our time and space to grieve.”
Victoria’s celebration of life was reportedly expected to be held on Saturday at the Valley of the Temples Memorial Park and Funeral Homes in Kaneohe, Hawaii, but had to be closed off from the public due to the “media outbreak.”
“We have decided as a family to make Victoria’s celebration of life a closed event, for immediate family only,” the ONE Championship star noted.
