Who is Daniel Silva and what did he do?
Olivia Shea
Published Sep 22, 2026
FORMER Ink Master star Daniel Silva spoke out for the first time since being sentenced for killing YouTuber Corey La Barrie, who died in a fatal car crash in May 2020.
Silva was sentenced to one year in prison in August 2020, after allegedly being intoxicated behind the wheel in the accident that killed La Barrie.
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Who is Daniel Silva and what did he do?
Silva is an American celebrity tattoo artist and a former star on the Paramount Network reality series Ink Masters.
Silva was involved in a car accident on May 10, 2020, that resulted in the death of YouTuber La Barrie.
The two were out celebrating La Barrie's 25th birthday.
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La Barrie was pronounced dead at a nearby hospital while Silva was arrested and charged second-degree murder.
The reality TV star was sentenced to one year in prison, five years probation, 250 hours of community service and a suspended prison sentence of four years.
What did he say about La Barrie's death?
Silva shared a photo on his Instagram, of a leopard tattooed on La Barrie's arm.
"I had the honor of tattooing this leopard on Corey before the accident," he captioned on the picture.
"I'm grateful for the time we spent together and I will cherish those memories every day.
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"I have so much that I want to say but unfortunately I'm limited at this time. I just posted a video on YouTube with everything I could.
"This still doesn't feel real, but your love and support for Corey and I means so much to me. Love you Cory [sic]."
In the YouTube video, Silva said he's "sorry for all the pain everybody is going through" and apologizes directly to La Barrie, his friends, family and his fans.
Silva went on to say that he "cherishes every single moment [he] had with him [La Barrie]."
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"I’ll think about him every single day for the rest of my life," he added.
Did La Barrie's parents sue Silva?
La Barrie's parent's sued Silva in May 2020, for "wrongful death," claiming he is responsible for the car crash that killed their son.
Simon La Barrie and Lissa Burton alleged Silva acted negligently in the hours leading up to the May 10 car crash.
Court papers obtained by Us Weekly claim Silva was “driving the vehicle at an extremely high speed unreasonable for the condition and in violation of California law.”
The Ink Master's star also allegedly “failed to use reasonable care while driving the vehicle.”
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The lawsuit also claims Silva was “intoxicated by alcohol and/or other unknown substances,” which they allege his own company provided.
Daniel Silva Tattoos is also listed as a Defendant in the case.
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Corey’s mother wrote on Instagram after the tragic loss: "My heart breaks right now, on my son's 25th birthday today. He was very drunk and got into a car with a drunk driver.
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"The accident killed him instantly. No words can describe the sadness. It just feels so unreal and I'm overwhelmed with grief.”
She ended the caption: “I love you so much Corey and will miss you so so much. It's just so unfair.”
