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Bodybuilder Gabriel Ganley dies at 22; cause of death not yet disclosed

7 sources · 25 May 2026 · Share coverage ·

verbatim from the press

Gabriel Ganley, a 22-year-old bodybuilder and influencer with 1.7 million Instagram followers, was found dead in his apartment in Mooca, São Paulo, on Saturday (23). The case was registered as suspicious death at the 42nd Police District (Parque São Lucas), with no apparent signs of violence at the scene.

Press quotes (2)
G1 Globo

"Natural do Rio de Janeiro, Ganley tinha 1,7 milhão de seguidores no Instagram e quase 400 mil inscritos no Youtube. Em 2023, se mudou para a capital paulista após fechar contrato de patrocínio."

G1 Globo

"Gabriel foi encontrado já sem vida na cozinha, caído de bruços (em decúbito ventral). O boletim aponta que ele apresentava a região do rosto avermelhada, com presença de sangue, mas não havia sinais aparentes de violência no imóvel. [...] O caso foi registrado como morte suspeita (morte súbita sem causa determinante aparente) no 42º Distrito Policial, no Parque São Lucas."

Born in Rio de Janeiro, Ganley had moved to São Paulo in 2023 after signing a sponsorship contract with Integralmedica. He was a former competitive Pokémon TCG player and Physical Education student at UFRJ until the fifth semester. He was preparing to compete in the Musclecontest Brasil championship in July.

Press quotes (1)
G1 Globo

"Ex-jogador competitivo de Pokémon e estudante de Educação Física da UFRJ, Gabriel construiu a carreira na internet com vídeos de treino gravados de forma simples e rotina intensa de disciplina... Ele também foi jogador competitivo de Pokémon TCG, jogo de cartas da franquia japonesa, e chegou a ser um dos oito melhores competidores do game na América Latina."

Police seized various medications at the apartment, possibly anabolic steroids, which will be analyzed. The cause of death has not yet been officially disclosed by the Legal Medical Institute (IML), which is expected to perform autopsy and possible toxicological tests.

Press quotes (2)
G1

"No local, foram apreendidos diversos medicamentos, possivelmente anabolizantes, que serão analisados. [...] Também não há confirmação sobre a natureza ou o uso dos medicamentos encontrados no apartamento, que foram apreendidos para análise."

G1 Globo

"A causa da morte de Gabriel Ganley ainda não foi divulgada oficialmente. Exames do Instituto Médico Legal (IML), incluindo a necropsia e possíveis testes toxicológicos, devem apontar o que provocou o mal súbito. Até a última atualização desta reportagem, não havia prazo para a conclusão dos laudos."

His mother, Clarisse Ganley, described the death as "fate" in an Instagram post on Sunday (24). The body will be cremated in a closed ceremony this Monday (25), at 11 am, according to Gabriel's own wishes.

Press quotes (1)
Band

"A partida do nosso bbzinho foi uma fatalidade. Nesse momento de tanta dor, nós, família, amigos, atletas, patrocinadores e treinadores estamos nos apoiando para termos força e conforto em nossos corações", escreveu."

1. What we know (2)

Gabriel Ganley was found dead in his apartment in Mooca on Saturday (23), with no apparent signs of violence

4 sources G1 Band Correio do Povo Diário de Pernambuco

Clarisse Ganley, Gabriel's mother, described the death as 'fate' in an Instagram post

4 sources G1 Band Correio do Povo Diário de Pernambuco
2. Where coverage thins out (3)

Covered by only some sources, or where the accounts diverge.

Covered by only some sources (2)

Medications possibly including anabolic steroids were seized at Gabriel's apartment

Reported by: G1
Did not cover: Band Correio do Povo Terra

Gabriel had spoken about insulin use and adverse effects on his social media

Reported by: Terra
Did not cover: G1 Band Correio do Povo

Conflicting versions (1)

Speculation about hypoglycemia as cause of death

1 source — "International sources report speculation about hypoglycemia in Brazilian bodybuilding circles": Fitnessvolt
2 sources — "Brazilian sources do not mention hypoglycemia, focusing only on official investigation": G1 Band
3. What we don't know yet (3)
  • What was the official cause of Gabriel Ganley's death?

    Why it's still unknown: The Legal Medical Institute (IML) has not yet released the results of the autopsy and possible toxicological tests, with no defined deadline for completion.

  • What type of medications were seized at the apartment?

    Why it's still unknown: Police confirmed the seizure of 'various medications, possibly anabolic steroids', but did not disclose details about the specific nature or quantities of substances found.

  • Do claims of hypoglycemia as a possible cause have official basis?

    Why it's still unknown: International sources mention speculation about hypoglycemia in bodybuilding circles, but these claims have not been confirmed by Gabriel's family or sponsors.

    Did not cover: G1 Band

All sources

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