Dr. Disrespect Finally Addressed His Ban from Twitch
Herschel “Guy” Beahm, better known for gaming heatedly on livestreams as Dr. Disrespect, has finally addressed the reason for his ban from Twitch. In a June 25 statement, Beahm admitted to previously having conversations with a minor on the platform that “sometimes leaned too much in the direction of being inappropriate.” In 2020, his channel was abruptly removed from Twitch, with no public explanation given to his more than four million followers at the time. Years later, it seemed like the reason for his exit might always be 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 to be about him. “He got banned because got caught sexting a minor in the then existing Twitch whispers product,” Conners wrote. “He was trying to meet up with her at TwitchCon. The powers that be could read in plain text. Case closed, gang.” Another former Twitch employee later corroborated the claims to The Verge. Below, here are the key takeaways from Dr. Disrespect’s response to the allegations.
THE TWITCH BAN
— Dr Disrespect (@DrDisrespect) June 25, 2024
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…
What did Dr. Disrespect admit to?
In a lengthy statement shared on June 25, he acknowledged that he was banned after having conversations with a minor that “sometimes leaned too much in the direction of being inappropriate” over Twitch whispers (which allowed users to start private one-to-one chats). According to Beahm, this happened in 2017, when he would have been in his thirties. He denied that there were “real intentions” behind the “casual, mutual” messages. Noting that criminal charges were never brought against him, he further claimed that no pictures were shared, that he never met the individual, and that nothing illegal happened.
“Now, from a moral standpoint I’ll absolutely take responsibility. I should have never entertained these conversations to begin with,” he added. “That’s on me. That’s on me as an adult, a husband and a father. It should have never happened. I get it. I’m not perfect and I’ll fucking own my shit. This was stupid.” Still, he concluded his statement by strongly denying that he is a “predator or pedophile” and criticizing those who label him as “the worst of the worst with your exaggerations.”
Why are we just now finding out?
Beahm said in his statement that, “for reasons outside of [his] control,” he was not “allowed” to comment on his ban. He suggested that because former Twitch employees have publicly shared the allegations, he can now respond. It seems likely that this has to do with 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 to any wrongdoing,” he shared on social media at the time.
Who has stopped working with Dr. Disrespect?
Midnight Society Game Studio, which was co-founded by Beahm, announced on June 24 that it had terminated its relationship with him after becoming aware of the allegations and “speaking with parties involved.” In his statement, Beahm characterized his departure as a “painful,” mutual decision for him to step down. “Our team is full of incredibly talented and good people that have high career ambitions and families and i’d never want jeopardize the culture we have carefully crafted,” he wrote. Meanwhile, Midnight Society studio head Robert Bowling issued a short personal statement of his own: “If you inappropriately message a minor. I can not work with you. Period.” Gaming accessory manufacturer Turtle Beach has also confirmed to The Verge that it had terminated a multi-year sponsorship deal with Beahm.
Is Dr. Disrespect going to stop streaming?
Probably not. In a YouTube stream on June 24, Beahm mentioned that he was considering extending a planned vacation. However, it seems like this will be a temporary break. “I’m not fucking going anywhere,” he affirmed in his statement. “I’m not the same guy that made this mistake all those years ago. I’m taking an extended vacation with my family as mentioned on stream and I’m coming back with a heavy weight off my shoulders.”
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