The Tragic Crown: 5 Shocking Facts About The Burger King Hat Guy, Ryan Brewer, And His Final Days

The "Burger King Hat Guy" is one of the most recognizable, yet misunderstood, viral figures of the modern internet age. The man behind the infamous 2020 JetBlue flight meltdown, known to the world only by his bizarre headwear, was later identified as Ryan Brewer, a figure whose brief moment of online notoriety masked a much deeper, more tragic personal struggle. This article, updated for December 10, 2025, delves into the full, complex story of Brewer, the context of his actions, the public's surprisingly sympathetic reaction, and the heartbreaking final update on his life.

The image of a man wearing a flimsy paper Burger King crown while yelling racial slurs on a crowded airplane became an instant, dark meme. Yet, for those who dug deeper, the story of Ryan Brewer was not just about a viral freakout, but a devastating portrait of mental illness and homelessness that ultimately led to a tragic end, as confirmed by recent memorial efforts.

Biography and The Viral Incident

The man known as the Burger King Hat Guy or the Burger King Crown Guy was identified in various news and community reports as Ryan Brewer. His viral moment occurred in late 2020, but the full picture of his life, pieced together by online communities and a subsequent fundraiser, reveals a long, difficult journey.

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• Full Name (Alleged): Ryan Brewer
• Alleged Age: Reported as 74 years old by one unverified Reddit post, though other accounts suggest he was younger but suffering from severe illness.
• Viral Incident: October 2020, on a JetBlue flight departing from Kingston, Jamaica, bound for New York.
• Key Item: A paper Burger King Crown worn during the incident, which became his defining, ironic symbol.
• Alleged Condition: Multiple community and fundraiser sources suggest he was a diagnosed schizophrenic who was experiencing a psychotic episode during the flight.

The viral video captured Brewer engaged in a furious, racist tirade, allegedly after a dispute over a seat where he claimed a woman kneed him in the stomach. The footage shows him shouting aggressively at passengers and crew, inciting chaos that required flight attendants to physically restrain other passengers from approaching him. He was ultimately removed from the aircraft and arrested by authorities in Jamaica, leading to an airline ban from JetBlue.

The Tragic Journey of the King: Homelessness and Mental Health

What the initial viral videos failed to convey was the profound personal crisis that led to the incident. The man the internet mocked as the "Burger King Hat Guy" was allegedly a person with severe mental health issues who was struggling with homelessness.

According to sympathetic accounts and details shared by the creators of a public fundraiser, Brewer had been living on the streets for some time, surviving on cheap meals from the fast-food chain. It was during this period that a Burger King employee, recognizing his plight, reportedly gave him a paper crown.

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The Crown as a 'Symbol of Hope'

The flimsy, cardboard crown that became the icon of his meltdown was, in his mind, reportedly a cherished item. Accounts suggest he viewed the Burger King Crown as a "symbol of hope" during his darkest days, which explains why he was wearing it during the flight—a desperate attempt to hold onto a sense of dignity or normalcy while trying to return home.

This revelation shifted the public perception for many, transforming the narrative from one of simple racist rage to a tragic story of a man failed by the mental healthcare system. The viral incident, which initially brought him widespread ridicule and condemnation, eventually sparked a brief wave of sympathy.

The 'Bring The King Home' Fundraiser

Following the 2020 incident and his subsequent arrest in Kingston, a public fundraiser was launched under the name "BringTheKingHome". The goal of the fundraiser was to collect money to help Brewer not only return to the United States but also to secure the necessary mental health treatment he desperately needed.

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The effort highlighted the divide between the two versions of the story: the meme and the man. While many continued to see him as the "racist passenger," a smaller but dedicated group saw him as a victim of his circumstances and a broken system. The fundraiser and the public discourse surrounding it became a powerful, if brief, discussion about the intersection of viral shaming, mental illness, and homelessness.

The Heartbreaking Final Update: Ryan Brewer's Passing

The most recent and definitive update on the life of the Burger King Hat Guy is a tragic one. In late 2024 and early 2025, several GoFundMe campaigns and an obituary appeared online, confirming that Ryan Brewer had passed away.

One GoFundMe, titled "Help Honor Ryan Brewer's Memory" and organized by a family member, Sophie Brewer, explicitly states that "Ryan Brewer was a light in so many lives. Taken from this world far before his time.".

While the exact circumstances of his death are not widely reported by major news outlets, one of the more detailed, yet unverified, accounts of his "Tragic Journey" concluded with a harrowing description of his final days, alleging he "Died alone, surrounded by Burger King wrappers".

This final chapter adds a somber and poignant conclusion to the life of a man whose most visible moment was also his most troubled. The viral meme of the Burger King Crown Guy has now been permanently recast as a cautionary tale about the human cost of mental health crises and the speed at which the internet can judge and discard a person.

The legacy of Ryan Brewer is a complex one, serving as a stark reminder that behind every sensational video of in-flight passenger rage or a controversial viral meltdown, there is a human being with a full, and often heartbreaking, story.