New details regarding the 2020 Twitch ban of Guy Beahm, also known as the popular streamer Dr Disrespect, have emerged following a report from Rolling Stone, including insights from a former Twitch employee. This Dr Disrespect news sheds light on the controversial streamer’s past behavior.
Beahm recently acknowledged that in 2017, he engaged in conversations with a minor via Twitch’s now-defunct Whispers feature, admitting that these exchanges “sometimes leaned too much in the direction of being inappropriate.” However, the former Twitch employee revealed that despite the minor informing Beahm of their underage status, Beahm continued to send “sexually graphic” messages to them, as reported by Rolling Stone.
The former employee emphasized that there was no confusion about the nature of the messages, stating that subsequent communications were equally explicit and sexually graphic, indicating a severe and sustained pattern of inappropriate behavior. The employee also detailed Twitch’s swift response to the Whispers messages, highlighting the decision to permanently ban Beahm from the platform due to the severity of the behavior.
Additionally, it was revealed that Twitch established an incident response team, codenamed “Gold Sparrow,” to address streamer sexual misconduct allegations following multiple incidents in June 2020, which is a significant part of the Dr Disrespect Twitch drama.
Neither Twitch nor Beahm provided a response to IGN’s request for comment on the Rolling Stone report, and Twitch has not publicly addressed the recent revelations about the 2020 ban. Meanwhile, YouTube, where Beahm currently streams, has not commented on the situation. Former global head of gaming partnerships at Google, Ryan Wyatt, disclosed to Rolling Stone that Beahm was not offered a contract with YouTube due to the rumors surrounding the ban, with YouTube employees being made aware of the inappropriate messages with a minor.
The situation resurfaced following a post from former Twitch employee Cody Conners, alleging that Beahm was banned almost four years ago for inappropriate behavior with a minor. Beahm responded to the reports, admitting that his conversations with the minor “should have never happened,” while asserting that no illegal activities occurred, and pointing to a resolved 2021 lawsuit against Twitch over the ban. This statement from Dr Disrespect adds another layer to the ongoing controversy.
In the wake of these revelations, several brands and partners have severed ties with Beahm, including Turtle Beach, 2K, the San Francisco 49ers, and the game studio Midnight Society, which Beahm co-founded. These developments underscore the significant impact and consequences of the recent revelations surrounding Beahm’s conduct. The Dr Disrespect Twitch ban and the ensuing fallout highlight the ongoing challenges and complexities in the streaming and gaming communities.