Power actor, Michael Rainey Jr, has spoken out after being sexually assaulted on a Twitch livestream on June 9.
The American actor was grabbed without his consent when he made an appearance on TyTy James’ channel, with a clip of the incident being shared widely online.
Michael Rainey Jr is speaking out after he was touched without consent on the video platform, detailing he is ‘still processing’ what happened.
The 23-year-old appeared on TyTy James’ Twitch channel and was grabbed inappropriately by James’ sister, with the moment being caught on camera. The video was then shared widely across Twitter.
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Michael Rainy Jr speaks out over Twitch livestream
A representative for the star said he is “deeply saddened and shocked by the events that occurred during TyTy James livestream this past weekend. He is still processing what happened and doesn’t entirely know how to feel about it”.
They added: “This situation is not being taken lightly. Sexual harassment and assault are serious and unacceptable acts. Taking advantage of someone’s celebrity in this manner devalues entertainers and underscores the need to respect their humanity. Those who entertain us are human beings just like everyone else”.
In the Twitch livestream video, James’ sister’s hands are blocked by children standing in front of her, but Michael Rainey Jr looks uncomfortable after she comes up to him.
It appears he reaches down in an effort to block her touching him and looking around for help.
It’s said the movie star left the livestream after this.
Michael Rainey Jr also took to Instagram Stories to speak to fans about the ordeal, saying he is ‘still in shock’.
He said he ‘can’t take it lightly because I know I would be in serious trouble if the roles were reversed’.
He wrote: “This is an unfortunate situation that I can’t condone in any way.
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“The fact is, sexual assault is never okay, regardless of gender or status. We’re all human, and we should respect each other. Most importantly, we should respect ourselves”.
Twitch star TyTy James also shared a statement on his social media account.
He penned: “After the actions that occurred during my stream last night I would like to sincerely apologize to Michael and his family for what took place.
“My little sister was completely wrong and out of line. What she did was very inappropriate and unacceptable. I am truly embarrassed and disgusted by her actions.
“I completely respect whatever direction Michael wants to go in this situation. After watching the clip, I was completely taken aback by what she done [sic]. I will take extreme precautions with future streams to avoid similar issues and have banned her from participating in future streams. I do not condone any type of assault.”
Fans have offered their support to the celebrity.
One wrote: “Woah hope Michael Rainy Jr is good, thats wild people just don’t care its sad.”
And another penned: “I feel really bad for what happen to Michael Rainy Jr… the more i see it the more i get upset for him.”
If you or someone you know has been sexually assaulted, please contact the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673) or go to rainn.org.
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