A new report claims that Dr Disrespect knowingly sent inappropriate messages to a minor in 2017.
Twitch abruptly ended a multi-year partnership with streamer Dr Disrespect in 2020, claiming they had received evidence that he had “acted in violation of our Community Guidelines or Terms of Service”.
The following year Dr Disrespect announced he would be suing Twitch, after losing a number of sponsorships and partnerships. The case was settled in 2022, with neither party confirming any wrongdoing.
However, earlier this week Twitch’s former director of strategic partnerships Cody Conners claimed that Dr Disrespect had been banned because he had been inappropriately messaging a minor on the platform’s Whispers messaging function, with another former employee backing up the claims in a report to The Verge.
“He got banned because got caught sexting a minor in the then existing Twitch whispers product. He was trying to meet up with her at TwitchCon. The powers that be could read in plain text,” claimed Conners.
He got banned because got caught sexting a minor in the then existing Twitch whispers product. He was trying to meet up with her at TwitchCon. The powers that be could read in plain text.
Case closed, gang.
— Cody Conners (@evoli) June 22, 2024
At first, Dr Disrespect denied any wrongdoing but later admitted to messaging a minor in 2017.
“Were there real intentions behind these messages, the answer is absolutely not,” he wrote in a statement. “These were casual, mutual conversations that sometimes leaned too much in the direction of being inappropriate, but nothing more. Nothing illegal happened, no pictures were shared, no crimes were committed, I never even met the individual.”
THE TWITCH BAN
Hello, I’d like to make a quick statement..
Lets cut the fucking bullshit, as you know there’s no filter with me. I’ve always been up front and real with you guys on anything that I can be up front about, and I’m always willing to accept responsibility… which…
— Dr Disrespect (@DrDisrespect) June 25, 2024
However a new report from Rolling Stone sees a former Twitch trust and safety employee alledge that Dr Disrespect continued to send “ sexually graphic messages to a minor he knew to be underage” and says that Dr Disrespect’s statement on social media is “inaccurate”.
“I recall that Dr Disrespect was made aware by the individual that they were underage during the conversation, after which he indicated that this was no problem and continued on,” the former employee said. “There was no confusion. Messages sent after this was acknowledged were no less graphic and in sexually explicit nature than before, and I think more than the categorisation of ‘leaning too much in the direction of being inappropriate’ might indicate.”
The employee explained that Twitch can’t share the messages with the public as it “endangers the victim and investigations by law enforcement”.
Following the allegations Dr Disrespect has been removed from Midnight Society, the blockchain gaming studio he co-founded, and his appearance in NBA 2K will be removed. He’s also been condemned by a number of streamers while the San Francisco 49ers have cut ties with him.
Dr Disrespect has yet to comment on the new allegations, but has confirmed he is taking an “extended vacation”. However, he’s also promised to return. “If you think I’m a piece of shit, that’s fine. But I’m not fucking going anywhere.”
For help, advice or more information regarding sexual harassment, assault and rape in the UK, visit the Rape Crisis charity website. In the US, visit RAINN.