MOUNT CLEMENS (WXYZ) — A Mount Clemens father, business owner and social media influencer who inspired millions by sharing his battle with Stage 4 cancer has died.
Marcel Johnson, a father of five and co-owner of Lil Daddy’s Cheesecakes, died Monday. He was 33.
Johnson and his wife, Taylor, shared his cancer journey publicly on social media following his diagnosis, giving millions of people a glimpse into his life as a husband, father and business owner navigating the disease.
Watch this story in the video player below:
“I feel like I’m in a movie, or a really long dream,” Johnson told 7 News Detroit shortly after his diagnosis in August 2025.
In the months that followed, Johnson continued documenting his battle, sharing deeply personal moments with his family and followers until the end.
Mount Clemens Mayor Laura Kropp said she learned of Johnson’s death the same way many others did.
“I found out the way the rest of the world did, when Taylor put it on social media,” Kropp said.
Now, the Mount Clemens community is rallying around Johnson’s family.
The city plans to hang “Forever in Our Hearts” posters throughout downtown Mount Clemens, where Lil Daddy’s Cheesecakes is located.
The bakery has become a familiar downtown destination.
“Everyone who comes here usually ends up at Lil Daddy’s,” said Diane Kubik, owner of nearby Max & Ollie’s.
Kubik’s store sits just feet from the bakery. She described Johnson’s death as a devastating loss.
“A father of five. What a tragic loss,” Kubik said.
The impact Johnson had on people was visible outside the family's business following his death.
On Wednesday, 7 News Detroit encountered a woman kneeling and praying outside Lil Daddy’s Cheesecakes. The woman, who asked not to be identified, said she had never met Marcel or Taylor Johnson and had never visited the bakery. Still, she felt compelled to come to the store and pay her respects.
“He thought about his family and what that looks like once he’s gone and the impact it would have, and that’s commendable,” she said.
Support for Johnson’s family began even before his death. A GoFundMe created to support the family has raised nearly $400,000.
Raw Juice, a Chesterfield business owned by a close friend of the Johnson family, also started a meal train to help make sure Taylor and the couple’s children are fed and cared for.
For Kropp, the business and the community surrounding it represent something that will continue beyond Johnson’s death.
“It’s Lil Daddy’s Cheesecakes, but I believe it’s Taylor and Marcel’s legacy,” Kropp said.
Lil Daddy’s Cheesecakes is currently closed. The business is expected to announce its reopening date on Facebook.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
