Pokimane calls Dafran sexist after he stands up for sinatraa

Olivia Richman Published 12/03/2021

The streaming community had a strong reaction to Daniel “Dafran” Francesca’s tweet after the former Overwatch League pro stood up for Jay “sinatraa” Won.

sinatraa was accused of sexual and mental abuse by his ex-grilfriend, Cleo “Cle0h” Hernandez, on March 9. She shared a TwitLonger that outlined the alleged abuse she experienced while dating sinatraa, including screenshots of him attacking her for complimenting the Houston Outlaws.

While the majority of the esports community has rallied behind Cle0h, Dafran was very outspoken in his defense of sinatraa. He initially tweeted that “e-girls can be fucking scary” to a Twitch streamer, since they will “jebait or photoshop evidence and then fuck you.” While Dafran clarified that Cle0h might “not be one” he also noted “she could be,” hinting that her screenshots and audio recordings may have been falsified and that her internet personality makes her unreliable.

Dafran immediately faced a lot of backlash for his take on the sexual and mental abuse allegations. But the Valorant streamer didn’t back down. He said it was unfair that “someone can scream rape at a public figure” and not be questioned.

“The public is gaining too much power. The world is fucked,” Dafran said.

Popular content creator Imane “Pokimane” Anys addressed the series of tweets in a live Twitch stream. After reading Dafran’s tweet, she accused him of sexism, stating that he was basing his wariness over Cle0h’s claims on the fact that she’s a woman. Pokimane said that women are “rarely ever given the benefit of a doubt” and have to “work so hard” to be seen as credible due to their sex.

“He’s not saying ‘be careful of who you believe on the internet.’ He’s specifically saying she is a girl therefore be careful because they will trick you. Like we are in a fantasy erotica and all the women around us are succubi,” Pokimane said.

Despite Pokimane’s gigantic fanbase, Dafran stood by his words after hearing about her live stream. He decided to respond on a broadcast of his own, telling his followers that he stands by everything he said on Twitter. He also added that he’s “not sexist.”

“Pokimane calling me a sexist, I don’t give a fuck. Get fucked, dude. Doesn’t change my opinion,” Dafran said. “Just because they have 60,000 viewers or whatever doesn’t mean that they’re right.”

Dafran added that it’s “fucked up” that women are apparently “instantly believed.” While sinatraa has been suspended from Sentinels’ main roster, he is still a part of the team as the organization conducts an “internal investigation.” Riot also ruled that sinatraa wasn’t allowed to compete in Valorant tournaments at this time.

So far, Senitnels has not released any further statements on the matter. The organization has signed Tyson “TenZ” Ngo to replace sinatraa for its upcoming matches.

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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