Out podcaster Mat George at the Abbey in West Hollywood. (Photo from Instagram)
LOS ANGELES | The popular gay co-host of the “She Rates Dogs” podcast, Mat George, 26, was killed in a hit and run accident in the Beverly Grove neighborhood of the city the Los Angeles Police Department confirmed July 18.
LAPD said that the focus of their investigation is a late model white BMW sedan that was moving eastbound on Beverly Boulevard and the driver failed to stop police said. LAPD said that George was hit while walking southbound on Croft Avenue at approximately 2 a.m. July 17, adding that he was pronounced dead on scene which was later confirmed by the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner’s office.
His co-host, Michaela Oakland, tweeted, “I would rather you guys here [sic] this from me than a news article. Mat was killed in a hit and run last night. I don’t really have any other words right now. I wish I could contact everybody who knows him personally but the news is already out and I just can’t do it right now.”
I would rather you guys here this from me than a news article. Mat was killed in a hit and run last night. I don’t really have any other words right now. I wish I could contact everybody who knows him personally but the news is already out and I just can’t do it right now
— michaela okland (@MichaelaOkla) July 17, 2021
Oakland also thanked their fans for their messages of support. “Thank you so much to everybody telling stories and sharing how he impacted you. Whenever you think of him in the future, please do talk about him,” she wrote.
Thank you to everybody who’s reached out, I’m really sorry but I probably won’t respond for awhile even if we are close. And thank you so much to everybody telling stories and sharing how he impacted you. Whenever you think of him in the future, please do talk about him
— michaela okland (@MichaelaOkla) July 18, 2021
“He’d send me screenshots of your sweet messages,” she added on the Twitter account for the podcast. “He shed tears when people told him he had helped them through issues (especially LGBT+ related). He referenced DMs from you all the time and how much it made his week & fueled his joy. You really did know him,” Oakland wrote. “He shared so much because he felt the people who listened to him were his friends.”
helped them through issues (especially LGBT+ related). He referenced DMs from you all the time and how much it made his week & fueled his joy. You really did know him. He shared so much because he felt the people who listened to him were his friends.
— She Rates Dogs: The Podcast (@sheratesdogspod) July 18, 2021
George, an Arizona State University alumni, had a loyal following and fan base of nearly 80,000 followers between both Twitter and Instagram.
