Dr. Disrespect’s Twitch Ban for Posts Directed to a Minor, Explained

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Herschel “Guy” Beahm, best known for his passionate live gaming under the name Dr. Disrespect, has finally addressed the reason for his Twitch ban. In a June 25 statement, Beahm admitted to previously having conversations with a minor on the platform that “sometimes leaned too far in the direction of being inappropriate.” In 2020, his channel was abruptly deleted from Twitch, with no public explanation given to his over four million followers at the time. Years later, it seemed that the reason for his departure still remained a mystery. Then, on Friday, former Twitch employee Cody Conners took to social media to share allegations that did not identify Beahm by name, but were widely interpreted as involving him. “He was banned because he was caught sexting a minor in the then-existing Twitch Whispers product,” Conners wrote. “He was trying to meet her at TwitchCon. The powers that be could be read in plain text. Case closed, gang. Another former Twitch employee later corroborated the claims that The edge. Below are the key takeaways from Dr. Disrespect’s response to the allegations.

In a lengthy statement shared on June 25, he admitted to being banned after having conversations with a minor that “sometimes leaned too far in the direction of being inappropriate” because of Twitch whispers (which allowed users to start conversations). private one-on-one discussions). ). According to Beahm, this happened in 2017, when he would have been in his 30s. He denied there were “real intentions” behind the “casual and mutual” messages. Noting that no criminal charges have been filed against him, he further claimed that no photos were shared, that he never met the individual and that nothing illegal had happened. product.

“Now, from a moral point of view, I will absolutely take responsibility for this. I should never have had these conversations in the first place,” he added. ” It’s my fault. It’s up to me as an adult, husband and father. This should never have happened. I understand. I’m not perfect and I will own my shit. It was stupid. He nevertheless concluded his statement by categorically denying being a “predator or pedophile” and criticizing those who call him “the worst of the worst with your exaggerations”.

Beahm said in his statement that, “for reasons beyond (his) control,” he was not “authorized” to comment on his ban. He suggested that because former Twitch employees had publicly shared the allegations, he could now respond. It seems likely that this is related to the terms of a previous legal settlement with Twitch. In 2021, Beahm sued the platform in a civil case that was ultimately settled the following year. “No party admits any wrongdoing,” he then shared on social networks.

Midnight Society Game Studio, which Beahm co-founded, announced on June 24 that it had ended its relationship with him after learning of the allegations and “speaking with the parties involved.” In his statement, Beahm called his departure a “painful” mutual decision to resign. “Our team is full of incredibly talented and good people with great career ambitions and families and I would never want to jeopardize the culture we have carefully crafted,” he wrote. Meanwhile, Robert Bowling, studio head of Midnight Society, released his own personal statement: “If you send an inappropriate message to a minor. I cannot work with you. Period.” Gaming accessory maker Turtle Beach also confirmed The edge that he had ended a multi-year sponsorship deal with Beahm.

Probably not. In a YouTube broadcast on June 24, Beahm mentioned that he was considering extending his planned vacation. However, it appears to be a temporary hiatus. “I’m not going anywhere,” he said in his statement. “I’m not the same guy who made that mistake all those years ago. I’m taking an extended vacation with my family as mentioned in the stream and returning with a heavy weight on my shoulders.