An influencer dies at 40

Madalina Apostol, a Romanian influencer with a large social media following, died at 40. Her death was reported by the Daily Mail on September 14, 2026.

The birthday post

On her 40th birthday last month, Apostol quoted Hamlet on social media. Read at the time as reflective, it lands differently now.

“I finally have the answer to the question that has followed me for so long: "To be or not to be?"”

She chose to be

Her post did not end on the question. She answered it, and the answer was to keep going.

“I choose to be, because the alternative was never my destiny.”

A sudden Sunday

She died unexpectedly on Sunday. Her boyfriend, Nick Radoi, confirmed the news publicly.

A partner's words

Radoi described the loss in plain, heavy terms, calling it a great pain and a tragedy that is hard to put into words.

“a tragedy that is hard to put into words”

A life across two countries

Apostol split her time between Los Angeles and Mexico, building a following on the strength of that glamorous, well-travelled life.

Romanian by origin

She was originally from Romania, and that thread ran back through her life all the way to its end.

Mother of three

She leaves two adult sons, aged 22 and 19, and a 10-year-old daughter.

An on-off relationship

Apostol and Radoi, a multimillionaire, had a turbulent on-again, off-again relationship over the years.

Settled this summer

By this summer the couple had steadied. The relationship had found calmer ground before she died.

Stepping back from the camera

She had recently chosen a quieter life away from the cameras that made her name.

Struggling in recent months

Radoi said Apostol had been struggling with her health for months before she died, out of public view.

Hospitalized for psychiatric care

She had reportedly been hospitalized for psychiatric care and had struggled with depression.

A painful autoimmune illness

Privately, she was also fighting an autoimmune condition that caused severe pain. Neither battle was part of her public feed.

How he remembers her

Radoi described a loving mother with a good heart and a deep faith in God, someone supported right to the end.

“She was loved, encouraged and supported until the very last moment”

What the illness took

He spoke about the disease in terms that go past the body, saying it reached her thoughts and her soul.

“The disease came to take over her thoughts and her soul.”

Only the ill understand

Radoi drew a line between those who have lived with the condition and everyone else looking in.

“This is a cruel disease and only those who have ever had or are dealing with it can truly understand”

Home at the end

She had returned to Romania by the time of her death. An official cause has not been released.

Tributes fill her feeds

Her channels filled with condolences. Close friend Bianca Dragusanu posted a short tribute calling her wonderful.

“Rest in peace. You were wonderful.”

A funeral in Bucharest

Her body will lie at a private cemetery in Bucharest from Tuesday, with the funeral set for September 17.