In his first public interview since being suddenly banned from Twitch last month, Guy “Dr Disrespect” Beahm, one of the platform’s most popular streamers, claims he still doesn’t know why.
“Honestly, we just don’t know,” Beahm told the Washington Post in a new interview published today. “It was a total shock. Imagine showing up to work and the doors are closed and you can’t get inside. You’re going, “What’s going on?’ And you’ve been told you’ve been fired. But you haven’t been told the reason why. We just weren’t given an answer. It was the worst feeling.”
Beahm told the paper he only learned of the ban after watching a friend’s Twitch stream and realising he was missing certain features as a creator on the platform. He wouldn’t go into any more detail about what turned out to be a very odd final livestream, or speculate about why Twitch banned him, refusing to answer many of the Post‘s questions on advice from his lawyers.
Beahm, who signed a two-year exclusivity contract with Twitch earlier this year, was banned on June 26. Since then, the only statement the platform has released on the matter is this:
“As is our process, we take appropriate action when we have evidence that a streamer has acted in violation of our Community Guidelines or Terms of Service. These apply to all streamers regardless of status or prominence in the community.”
After the ban, Twitch refunded viewers who had paid to subscribe to Beahm’s channel, as well as revoked his partner status. The weeks of silence from both Twitch and Beahm that followed fuelled speculation on the internet about whether the ban was part of an elaborate stunt or related to something Beahm may have done in the past that was only recently brought to Twitch’s attention. Beahm was temporarily suspended from the platform last year after broadcasting live from a public bathroom at E3.
Beahm declined to comment to the Post about what his next steps will be or whether he will try to begin streaming on other platforms like YouTube.
Beahm also gave an interview to PC Gamer which published its interview questions and the streamer’s remarks in full. At one point, Beahm is asked whether some of his comments during his final stream about English conspiracy theorist David Icke may have had anything to do getting banned, but Beahm’s publicist stepped in before he could answer:
PC Gamer: Sure, and I want to talk about that. But first, you did recently ruffle a few feathers after sharing a video during a stream of Dr. Thomas Cowen, and he was talking about some coronavirus theories. You’ve been open recently and sharing some of your own thoughts about coronavirus and even relating it to things like 5G networks. Even on your last stream, you were talking about David Ike and his documentary. I’m curious, in bringing up those thoughts — and I think it’s ok to call them controversial — did that ever result in Twitch saying anything to you or warning you?
Beahm: No.
So you don’t think that might be the cause?
Beahm: I don’t think so. In fact, I–
Beahm’s publicist: We’re getting really close to dangerous territory here. So, you know, Doc, we don’t know why Twitch banned him, and there is no formal warnings or reprimand on record. That’s all legal is going to let him say.
Beahm did tell PC Gamer that while he’ll never be back on Twitch, he is looking into possibly streaming on YouTube, Facebook, or even natively from his own Champions Club website.
Comments
21 responses to “Weeks Later, Dr Disrespect Says He Still Doesn’t Know Why He Was Banned From Twitch”
Spreading stupid conspiracy theories and being a bit of a dick. Thats why he was banned and Twitch had simply had enough of him. No real loss.
It’s not like Twitch had no idea exactly what Dr Disrespect’s shtick was before signing him up on an exclusive deal. It’s in his handle ffs.
Just saying that he was banned for being a dick literally isn’t enough.
Dr Disrespect has every right to know exactly what line he stepped over and where. Twitch hiding behind generic policy statements is cowardice, it’s arse covering, and it just isn’t good enough.
Well he did do that, but we don’t know if that’s why. It’d be good if Twitch was actually transparent about why they did it. While I think the guy’s a knob, he does at least deserve to know why he was banned. Twitch, like Angorafish said, knew *exactly* what he was like prior to signing him, they didn’t go into that partnership blindly.
He absolutely knows why he was banned and these interviews are 100% are marketing exercise.
I don’t think that’s it. Folks who’ve claimed to know have said it’s super uncomfortable/not their place to talk about, and there’s nothing uncomfortable about talking about how he’s a dick/hoax-spreader. So I’m guessing sexual misconduct or similar.
Surely not sexual, he just released a video and he sings:
“It’s out of my hands
But I’m still in control
It’s out of my hands
You can never take away the power of my voice”
https://www.instagram.com/p/CCtlEyDnH5P/?igshid=fqebnzmbq58a
Alternately: https://twitter.com/Slasher/status/1277395730219573253?s=20
“food for thought: Twitch does not issue specific reasons to streamers for permanent bans. MethodJosh was banned following a report of sexual assault and Twitch has never commented publicly or privately. Josh & Ice Poseidon were told ‘Other TOS violations’.”
Slasher also basically said “I know what he did but I can’t say”
MethodJosh was still accused publically by his victim.
No one has come out and accused Doc. I seriously doubt someone would privately contact twitch in this current climate. Nor would twitch act solely off someone contacting them. Doing so would open them up to a huge lawsuit if the accusation was proven wrong.
I think the timing of the ban is a big indicator of what it might be, Him being banned very shortly after Microsoft threw in the towel on mixer should be a big clue.
“We’re getting really close to dangerous territory here. … That’s all legal is going to let him say.”
His whole shtick is dangerous territory, the only reason legal wouldn’t be happy with him talking now is that he (and they) know exactly what’s caused the ban and don’t want it made public. Guessing it wasn’t just the conspiracy theories, as Transientmind mentioned, probably something like sexual misconduct.
So they know the reason he was banned or the clause in the terms of service/contract that led to the ban, but they don’t know “why” as in, they just don’t really agree…
What I reckon: They can guess. They ‘know’ in that they might be relatively certain, but they don’t Officially Know – capitals – because they haven’t been Officially Told.
Like whenever we go through approvals at work. Project groundwork might already be well underway, people getting paid, but until the final approval is signed, we don’t ‘Know’ that it’s definitely going ahead. We’re just working on an assumption. And to be fair, we’ve had stuff like accommodations deals get pulled at the absolute last second in advance of that final signature, so it’s a valid distinction to make.
Yep, if you look at my comment below, the answer he gives when they start asking questions about sexual misconduct is pretty much a give away.
I know nothing about him other than his screen name and his pictures from Kotaku articles and even I’m not surprised he’s been banned!
One of the key ways to tell if someone is lying, is if they don’t just directly say ‘no’. You can tell he is responding honestly to some questions, but from the following interaction:
PC Gamer: ‘Okay, I just have one question that’s semi-related, because there’s also this current climate online of people coming forward to share stories of sexual harassment and abuse in the games industry. Twitch recently has banned several streamers who have been outed as sexual harassers, abusers, and otherwise toxic individuals. To your knowledge is your Twitch ban the result of someone alleging that you harassed, abused, or assaulted them in any way?’
Beahm: ‘Listen, I’m not interested in engaging crazy speculation. I’ve seen all the theories, I’ve seen all the possible conspiracies, and it’s just like, I’m just not interested in engaging that type of stuff. I have a great community of loyal fans and I’m totally focused on getting back and delivering great, entertaining content and that’s where the focus is.’
Like, why not just say ‘no’ outright, if he knows it isn’t a possibility.
https://twitter.com/layer_cake/status/1283787890942713857?s=21
And your degree in psychology is where?
Assuming he is lying based on your own made-up theory is not evidence of anything. That question that he responded to was loaded with assumptions and he is probably sick of people like yourself assuming things.
Exactly. This is not rock solid evidence. Someone not saying ‘no’ when asked if they’re lying is simply ‘movie psychology’.
Having actually sat through multiple child psychology lessons to do with this very topic, I’ll give you my INCREDIBLY amateurish and non-psychologist reasoning:
People may opt to give elaborate answers if their emotions are heightened. If they are emotional, if they are anxious, if they are defensive, if they are worried they will be wrongly judged or accused. They may give elaborate, over explanations if they want to protect someone they believe may be wrongly accused as well. There’s a multitude of reasons they may simply not say ‘no’.
I personally deal with kids, in education, every single day who both lie to me, and others who when asked if lying don’t say ‘no’ straight away, but expand their answers incredibly, and to be honest sometimes they both give the exact same types of answers. This isn’t ‘Lie to Me’ or ‘The Negotiator’, even hostage negotiators will tell you, there’s no one masterful way of telling if someone’s lying, it’s a whole combination of things, not one single thing. People who feel they’re targeted for example regularly (and some are?) or people who just talk and talk and talk (like me :P). But at the end of the day, the ‘no’ thing just doesn’t hold water unfortunately.
I think his answers demonstrate he is being held back by his lawyers.
I assume right now he isn’t able to post anything on social media unless it’s approved by his lawyers and that more than likely frustrates him. I think he is using these interviews to communicate with his fans.
I agree wholeheartedly. He comes across in that way like many do in that situation, there’s assuming and injecting whole worlds of self imposed logic and assuming with common sense. You’ve done the latter, unlike so many above.
i think with some of the people saying the reason for his ban being things like MeToo or something criminal, Are less thinking that’s the reason and more wanting that to be the reason due to their hatred of him.
They want to assume the worst because it will make themselves feel better.