Controversial YouTuber banned from Twitch, announces plan to 'get off the internet' following airport livestream: 'I have no excuses'
Yousef Saleh Erakat, professionally known to his 10 million YouTube subscribers as Fousey, has been banned from Twitch for the second time in less than a week. The 33-year-old had been running a 24/7 live stream from his Twitch account since early July and was banned on Aug. 1 and then again on Aug. 6.
Fousey has built a significant audience on Twitch thanks to his nonstop streams and had over 200,000 followers before his ban, according to Stream Charts, which measures key metrics for streamers.
He was first banned for using a racial slur while singing along to J. Cole’s song “Love Yourz” during a subathon, which he immediately apologized for while on the stream.
“I never use that word, I swear to f***ing god, this isn’t content!” he said on camera after realizing what he said. “I never use that f***ing word. I’ve listened to rap songs every day on this subathon, and I always change it out.”
In a since-deleted tweet, he apologized again, saying, “I could not be more ashamed or upset with myself. I am deeply sorry. This doesn’t represent my character. I literally tweeted 2 weeks ago against the usage of the word. I will do better. No question.”
Less than a week later, on Aug. 6, Fousey was banned again. He claimed in a tweet it had to do with him saying another slur, but viewers seem to think it has to do with a recent stream he filmed in an airport. He addressed the stream’s backlash in another tweet on Aug. 6 saying he was going to step back from the platform.
Dear G7 🔥🏀
retweet please. pic.twitter.com/4ghwCNNKrn— fousey (@fousey) August 6, 2023
Earlier in the day on Aug. 6, Fousey was streaming from an airport and filmed an interaction with a woman who stated she’d had a few drinks. Throughout their conversation, in which she alleged on camera that she was a trafficking victim, Fousey flirted with her and kissed her before giving her $300. Viewers tuning in to the stream also allegedly donated money to the woman. The two allegedly disappeared from camera view for 20 minutes while the stream continued before Fousey returned, without the woman, and bragged that they’d hooked up.
Fousey allegedly said he regretted saying that, claimed he felt “guilty” and was crying, and then said all of it was a joke and nothing happened between the two. Viewers accused him of taking advantage of the woman.
“They were flirting and she was very clearly really drunk,” one Redditor posted about the stream. “He tells her he feels really guilty because he used her for a prank. He kept apologizing the whole time for the ‘prank’ but it’s clear he’s apologizing for taking advantage of her.”
Fousey also posted a follow-up YouTube video titled “I Messed Up” in which he again denied that anything happened between him and the woman.
“Damn bro, as a former viewer, I feel like every time I come back to your channel you’re apologizing for something else,” one top comment reads. “This is the longest growth arc I’ve ever seen.”
The woman has not been identified, and her allegations about being sex-trafficked have not been looked into or confirmed.
Since Fousey is banned, the stream is not available on Twitch. Reddit moderators seemed to be removing people who were posting clips to the discussion, but a 24-minute clip was uploaded to the Sideplug YouTube channel. It’s not clear whether Fousey is a member of this YouTube channel, but there are a number of videos on the channel showcasing highlights from Fousey’s other videos.
“I have no excuses or justifications for any of my behavior for the last 36 days,” Fousey wrote in another tweet on Aug. 7. “I deserve the ban.”
Fousey has still continued to tweet despite his messages about wanting to step back from social media and get help.
“On the real. I need to get off the internet for a while,” he wrote in another post. “I love you all.”
Fousey’s past controversies
Fousey has had an impressive presence on YouTube since 2017 after spending years uploading original skits and pranks. His recent Twitch bans are by no means the first time he’s dealt with controversy in his career.
In 2016, he stirred drama within the YouTube community after being caught staging a fight with fellow creator Ricegum. It was this fake fight, along with his admission that he’d been faking some of his viral pranks, that led YouTubers and fans to criticize him.
Two years later, in 2018, Fousey promoted the event called Hate Dies, Love Arrives where he said he had “manifested” that Drake and Snoop Dogg would come and perform. Almost 2,000 people showed up to the event before the venue shut everything down after receiving a bomb threat.
Later that year, Fousey announced that the failed event was the result of “a very public and humiliating manic episode” and that he’d be taking a break.
Fousey started to resurface online throughout 2019 and then found controversy again in 2021 when he was filmed trying to punch a San Diego State University student at an event.
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