Mizkif suing Emiru, Asmongold, OTK Media following allegations
Matthew “Mizkif” Rinaudo is suing various streamers and content creation companies following Emily “Emiru” Schunk’s accusations against the controversial streamer.
On November 4, it became clear that Mizkif had put forward a lawsuit in federal court targeting fellow streamers Emiru and Zack “Asmongold” Hoyt, as well as OTK Media Inc, Mythic Talent Management Inc, and King Gaming Labs Inc. The streamer is seeking damages for reputational harm, lost earnings, and emotional distress following a livestream by Emiru in which she accused Mizkif of mistreatment, as well as other recent events.
Why is Mizkif suing Emiru and Asmongold?
Mizkif is suing Emiru and Asmongold for various alleged damages following claims made against him live during their streams.
After Mizkif broke up with ex-girlfriend Miya Higa, he began a romantic relationship with Emiru that allegedly turned toxic, according to both content creators. Emiru went live on Twitch to open up about her experience with Mizkif, and her accusations of his conduct during their relationship and his harassing her once they broke up sent shockwaves through the streaming space.
Emiru described various circumstances that led to her feeling physically and emotionally uncomfortable, including vivid descriptions of alleged physical harassment. She claimed that Mikzif had tried to limit which people she could spend time with, and also detailed Mizkif’s behavior following the end of the relationship in which she alleged that he continued to try contacting her against her wishes and often despite a lack of response.
Higa and Mizkif. Image credit: Mizkif on YouTube
In a response to Emiru’s accusations, Mizkif agreed on his own stream that he’d acted inappropriately. But he also claimed that he was going to retaliate against Emiru for going public with his alleged behaviors. This included telling viewers that Emiru had allegedly mistreated her pet rabbits. He also sought to shift blame for what had happened between the pair.
“I know I was controlling,” Mizkif said during his response. “I’m ashamed that the situation got so bad, but [Emiru] was also violent.”
The streaming community largely seemed to side with Emiru after hearing Mizkif’s response, with many expressing sympathy for Emiru after her dealing with not only Mizkif’s alleged behavior, but also a separate incident of harassment that occured at TwitchCon.
Despite having been a part of OTK Media along with Mizkif, Asmongold was one of the more prominent streamers who spoke out against him in the wake the public ordeal.
OTK Media followed suit, sending Mizkif a termination letter following Emiru’s allegations. It then apparently reclaimed from him more than one million shares of company stock. In its letter, OTK Media claimed that Mizkif had threatened Emiru during TwitchCon and noted that it didn’t approve of Mizkif “threatening personal and professional harm” to Emiru after her stream.
Now, Mizkif is suing Emiru and Asmongold both for attacking his character during their streams, and for calling him an “aggressor and abuser.” He also is suing OTK Media and other companies for lost earnings, including the stake in OTK that the company withdrew from him following the public spat playing out.
Featured image credit: Mizkif on Twitch
Olivia has worked in media ever since graduating from college, with her coverage ranging from traditional newspaper reporting to digital coverage of all things gaming, online betting, and nerd culture. She has traveled around the world pursuing that coverage, from the far coasts of the United States to the busy downtown core of Tokyo, Japan. Olivia’s favorite games include Overwatch and Super Smash Smash Bros, and she has been published at Esports Illustrated, Inven Global, EsportsInsider, Upcomer, and elsewhere.
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