YouTuber Dr Disrespect, known for his controversial persona and larger-than-life streaming presence, has parted ways with the San Francisco 49ers. Surprisingly, the reason behind their split has nothing to do with his infamous Twitch ban.
Earlier this year, former Twitch employees revealed that Dr Disrespect, whose real name is Guy Beahm, had been banned from the streaming platform in 2020 for allegedly sending inappropriate messages to an underage user.
The revelation caused a significant stir in the gaming community. Although Beahm confessed to the allegations and took a break from streaming, he eventually returned and began sharing new details about the situation, accusing Twitch of taking the messages out of context and orchestrating an unjust ban.
The reason for his Twitch ban ultimately led to a number of brands cutting ties with Dr Disrespect. Among those brands was the San Francisco 49ers, who decided to distance themselves from Beahm following the controversy. In a statement to Digiday after the news surfaced, the 49ers said, We take these developments seriously and will not be working with him going forward.
However, on November 18, Beahm revealed that his departure from working with the 49ers had actually taken place long before the reason for his Twitch ban became public. Instead, the decision stemmed from his reaction to a specific moment during a livestream involving the popular game Starfield.
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During a stream in 2023, Dr Disrespect found himself playing the highly anticipated Bethesda game Starfield. While creating his character, he was prompted to select pronounsa feature that has become more common in games as part of broader inclusivity efforts.
At that moment, Beahm was visibly taken aback, staring at the screen in silence before letting out an audible sigh. It was a subtle but telling reaction that hinted at his discomfort with the feature.
Recalling the incident, Dr Disrespect explained, Halfway through last year, this is a true story. Do you remember the streamwhat was that Bethesda game? Starfield? he began. Remember when we were creating our character? We were presented with the pronouns line. And we didnt say really much. All we did was look at it.
That seemingly minor moment apparently had serious repercussions. According to Beahm, the San Francisco 49ers reached out to him shortly after the stream to express their concerns.
The team informed him that they wanted to take a step back from their partnership due to controversies involving the stream. Dr Disrespect explained that this was why their collaboration ended long before the Twitch ban allegations surfaced.
Thats why we didnt work with them for the rest of the year, Beahm said, addressing the situation. And thats why it makes sense for them to put out a PR response to the bullsh*t from a couple months ago. He then directed his frustrations toward the teams management, saying, They need to get those people out of that franchise.
Despite the fallout, Dr Disrespect emphasized that he remains a fan of the 49ers and still wishes the team well, even after all the controversy surrounding his reaction to the pronoun options in Starfield. Im still rooting for them, he said, making it clear that his loyalty as a fan hasnt wavered, despite the professional split.
Interestingly, Dr Disrespect wasnt the only streamer who seemed to take issue with Starfields inclusion of pronouns.
Another content creator went on a viral, expletive-filled rant about the feature, drawing criticism from other popular figures in the streaming community, including Pokimane and The Act Man, who roasted him for his over-the-top reaction.
The incident involving Dr Disrespect highlights the delicate balance that streamers must maintain between their personal views and the broader expectations of their audiences and sponsors.
In this case, a seemingly simple reaction during a character creation sequence led to significant consequences for Beahm, resulting in the end of a partnership with an NFL franchise.
While Dr Disrespect continues to make waves in the gaming world, this episode serves as a reminder of how quickly things can change when personal actions clash with public perception.