Pokimane reveals why she stayed silent after Atrioc’s deepfake controversy in 2023

Twitch streamer Imane “Pokimane” Anys has explained why she stayed quiet after fellow streamer Brandon “Atrioc” Ewing’s deepfake controversy in January 2023. In a recent post on X, she said she felt uncomfortable and publicly humiliated because a page showing fake, sexual images of her appeared on his stream. Pokimane also said the issue still affects her today. As Atrioc becomes more involved in events with people close to her, she wants others to understand her side of the story.

Pokimane says Atrioc’s deepfake controversy left her feeling humiliated

The controversy began in January 2023 when viewers noticed a website showing sexual images made using artificial intelligence (AI) on Atrioc’s stream. These fake images showed female streamers, including Pokimane, without their consent.In her latest statement, Pokimane said people seemed to forget that the specific page shown on his stream featured her. She explained that she did not speak much about it at the time because she felt deeply uncomfortable and publicly humiliated.Pokimane also spoke about the money Atrioc spent trying to remove AI-generated deepfake content from websites. She said he had spent thousands of dollars on these efforts, including $3,000 offered specifically to her. However, she explained that she had spent hundreds of thousands of dollars on the same fight.She made it clear that money could not undo what had happened to her. Her main point was that the harm caused by the incident did not simply disappear because efforts were made to remove the content.

Pokimane questions Atrioc’s growing presence at events as he responds

Pokimane said she has become more uncomfortable as Atrioc has appeared at events and spent time with people close to her. She also questioned whether anyone had asked the women affected by the controversy how they felt about his growing presence.She stressed that she was not trying to cancel Atrioc or tell others what to do. She simply wanted to share her feelings about an incident that happened publicly and continues to affect her.Pokimane added that other people are free to forgive Atrioc, but their choices do not mean she must feel the same way. She also warned against changing the story of what happened over time.On October 27, Atrioc responded to her comments. He acknowledged that Pokimane was justified in feeling the way she did and said he felt horrible about the past. He also said he could not undo what happened and wanted to focus on reducing harm in the future. He announced that he would step back from a planned TwitchCon panel.In the end, Pokimane’s statement highlights that efforts to make things right do not automatically remove the pain caused by past actions. While people may choose to forgive Atrioc, she wants her experience to be heard and remembered.