IShowSpeed under fire for racist interaction at the World Cup

Olivia Richman Published 07/12/2022

YouTuber Darren “IShowSpeed” Watkins Jr. can now add racism to his long list of controversies.

IShowSpeed is showing no signs of slowing down the drama, even after being permanently banned from Twitch for threatening sexual assault on Adin Ross’ stream. Since then, IShowSpeed has been called out for sexist rants in Valorant and for promoting a known crypto scam. Now, IShowSpeed is facing backlash for making racist comments during a World Cup live stream.

IShowSpeed is a huge soccer fan, as evident by his recent trip to watch Cristiano Ronaldo compete last month. But even then, IShowSpeed issued an apology after Sky Sports removed content they created with the young streamer after learning of his past behaviors. Despite this fresh situation, IShowSpeed has gotten himself into even more trouble during the World Cup, where he traveled all the way to Qatar.

IShowSpeed accused of racism during World Cup stream

While watching the World Cup in Qatar, IShowSpeed decided to live stream himself in the stands. During the stream, IShowSpeed confronted a fan that was wearing a jersey for Argentina, the team facing Ronaldo’s Portuguese team. But instead of banter about the game, IShowSpeed started mocking the Chinese sports fan.

“Konnichiwa!” he kept yelling at the fan.

The fan responded that he was Chinese, but IShowSpeed kept yelling the Japanese phrase at him, getting louder and louder. He then started making mock Chinese sounds before the video cut out.

The internet reacted to the viral clip with anger.

A lot of people expressed frustration that racism towards Asian people was not taken as seriously. Others felt that IShowSpeed was encouraging his young fan base to behave similarly. Memes in the replies joked that this was a new low, even for IShowSpeed.

The young YouTuber hasn’t responded to the backlash yet.

Olivia Richman

About Olivia Richman

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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