Oliver Tree
Told Mom He Was Full of Life Before Final Flight
Published
July 26, 2026
11:44 AM PDT
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Oliver Tree couldn’t wait for his next “epic day” … a helicopter trip that would tragically become his last.
Speaking at Oliver’s celebration of life Saturday at the UCSC Quarry Amphitheater in Santa Cruz … his mother, Christine Begin Nickell, recalled texting him the day before he died to ask how quitting smoking was going.
She said Oliver immediately FaceTimed her and blew a huge puff of cigarette smoke into the camera … but what stuck with her most was how happy and excited he seemed about life.
Oliver told his family he planned to take a helicopter to a mountaintop house the following day, where he would make TikToks and music with friends.
His mother said Oliver lived for “epic days,” always trying to make each adventure more memorable than the last … making his excitement about the trip especially heartbreaking in hindsight.
As TMZ previously reported … Oliver and five others were killed June 14 when two helicopters collided in midair over Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Oliver was 32.
Logan Paul, Diplo, Ethan Klein, and other loved ones also spoke during Saturday’s memorial, which featured live performances, tribute videos, unreleased footage and multiple caskets honoring Oliver’s different characters.
His mother’s final memory captured the spirit everyone gathered to celebrate … Oliver was still chasing another unforgettable day.
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