Ethan Klein apologizes to QTCinderella for mocking deepfake situation
Streamer QTCinderella has spoken up about the deepfake website that used her likeliness to create seemingly nude photos of her against her will, leading to an inappropriate reaction from YouTuber Ethan Klein.
Recently, streamer Brandon “Atrioc” Ewing tearfully apologized to his community after he accidentally revealed during a livestream that he was looking at nude deepfakes of popular female streamers like Imane “Pokimane” Anys and QTCinderella. The streaming community reacted with disgust, wondering why he would look at fake nude images of his colleagues.
Deepfakes are made by digitally altering photos to appear as if they are someone else, usually someone popular and for vindictive reasons. QTCinderella recently tweeted that she was being viewed “naked” against her will and begged people to stop spreading images of the site and screenshots of the deepfakes.
During a recent livestream, QTCinderella continued to discuss the matter. While fighting back tears of frustration and disgust, QT said that she was going to sue whoever created the website that hosted the NSFW deepfakes.
“It should not be part of my job to have to pay money to get this stuff taken down. And to the person who made this website? I’m going to f—ing sue you. I promise you. With every part of my soul, I’m going to sue you,” QTCinderella said.
Ethan Klein apologizes for mocking QTCinderella
As the deepfake controversy continued, YouTuber Ethan “H3H3” Klein caught wind of QTCinderella’s response. During a recent podcast episode, Klein played QTCinderella’s stream and told producers to play it slower while putting Nat King Cole’s Christmas song over it. At this point, Ethan Klein and other staff were laughing uncontrollably.
Klein received backlash almost immediately, with the streaming community and large influencers alike voicing disgust with his reaction to the deepfake situation. As pressure mounted, Klein released an apology to QTCinderella called “What is wrong with me?”
Klein explained: “I made the really unfortunate and stupid decision to play this stupid sound-byte song of this guy singing ‘chestnuts over an open fire.’ The problem was that I started laughing while her heartfelt, really serious apology was going on… Clearly, you can imagine the dichotomy of those two things was not good.”
He went on to say that he respects QTCinderella and feels her pain is “100 percent valid.”
Klein said that he wished he could take it back, contemplating if there was something “off” about himself that caused him to make these decisions multiple times.
“I always find myself in these situations where I am doing and saying impulsive things I regret, right?” Klein said. “It doesn’t really represent how I feel. I respect and take her very seriously. It was really dumb and rude and careless.”
Klein added that he has made some progress in being more mindful in these situations but it has continued to happen. He said he looked like a “mean-spirited psycho,” but refused to blame his tourette syndrome, stating that it felt like a “copout.” Still, one of the symptoms is “lack of restraint” and “impulsivity,” according to his research.
“It doesn’t absolve me of any blame. I feel it’s a copout. I don’t know how to explain it. But I’m very sorry to QT and I do feel horrible and I support her 100 percent in trying to get that deepfake stuff removed,” Klein stated, adding that he has legal resources or would fund her lawsuit. “It’s a noble and good cause for her to do that.”
Are nude deepfakes illegal?
Unfortunately there are no laws and regulations for nude deepfakes. This is a relatively new space that has yet to be explored in court. For this reason, Klein felt that QTCinderella may run into some trouble but also felt it was a worthy cause that could pave the way for the future.
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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