Kirk Medas, the magnetic heart of MTV’s “Floribama Shore,” died Friday in a Miami hospital, his family confirmed. He was 33. The reality star, known for his quick grin and knack for keeping the peace among a rowdy crew, succumbed to liver failure after a grueling two-week battle in the ICU. His death, announced just hours after his castmates rallied fans for support, has left a void in the tight-knit world of the show that chronicled wild summers on Florida’s Panhandle.
Medas was admitted to the hospital around April 18, fighting a brutal case of necrotizing pancreatitis—a condition so severe it causes pancreatic tissue to die. Doctors sedated him, hooked him to a ventilator, and did what they could as the illness ravaged his body. His family, staring down mounting medical bills with no insurance to soften the blow, launched a GoFundMe campaign. By Thursday, May 1, castmates like Aimee Hall and Nilsa Prowant were sharing the fundraiser, pleading for prayers and donations. The fund, initially aimed at covering rehab and recovery, was updated after his death to support funeral costs. It’s raised over $27,000 so far.
The news hit hard. Hall, who called Medas a brother, posted a now-deleted Facebook tribute, describing a haunting moment at the beach where a dolphin surfaced just before she learned he was gone. She and Medas shared a love for the ocean, she said. Prowant, who’d been flying to Miami to sit by his bedside, called the visits some of the toughest moments of her life. The official “Floribama Shore” Instagram account mourned him as a “beloved member” of the show’s family, a sentiment echoed across statements from MTV and the cast.
Medas starred in “Floribama Shore” from 2017 to 2020, appearing in 25 episodes of the “Jersey Shore” spinoff that followed eight twenty-somethings living it up in Panama City Beach. He was the glue, castmates said, the one who could defuse a fight or spark a laugh when tensions flared. Beyond MTV, he popped up on shows like “Wild ‘N Out” and “Fear Factor,” but it was his warmth that stuck with people. “He had the kindest soul,” Hall wrote, “a heart full of love for everyone he met.”
Born in 1992, Medas called South Florida home at the time of his death. He leaves behind his mother, who spearheaded the fundraising effort, and a grieving circle of family, friends, and fans. The GoFundMe remains active for donations. Funeral arrangements are pending.