Twitch indefinitely bans Mini Ladd after grooming allegations

Olivia Richman Published 23/02/2021

One of the UK’s most popular content creators, Craig “Mini Ladd” Thompson, has been indefinitely banned from Twitch.

The streaming platform did not initially specify why it issued the ban, but Mini Ladd was in a lot of hot water last year for inappropriate behavior with underage fans. Twitch stated to esports insider Rod “Slasher” Breslau that it “takes appropriate action” when it has evidence that a streamer has “acted in violation” of its Community Guidelines or Terms of Service.

Twitch has indefinitely suspended/permanently banned Mini Ladd. Mini Ladd has faced accounts of sending inappropriate messages to underage fans, which he admitted to in his apology video last year
— Rod Breslau (@Slasher) February 23, 2021

What happened with Mini Ladd on Twitch?

Last summer, two women accused Mini Ladd of manipulating them while they were underage. After the allegations came forward, Mini Ladd’s ex-girlfriend corroborated the claims, stating that he was “extremely toxic and manipulative” during their relationship.

Mini Ladd apologized shortly after and decided to take a break until August 2020. Upon his return, MIni Ladd made a video called “Clearing the Air,” where he responded to the sexual assault and grooming allegations. The apology was called “crap” by the streaming community.

In December, Mini Ladd made a second video titled “My Apology.” While this video addressed the accusations more head-on, the community was still skeptical of the streamer. He was accused of cropping screenshots of messages in the video, meaning he manipulated his side of the story and wasn’t entirely accurately in his representation of the incident. He also thanked his PR team for writing the script for the video, leading many to feel that Mini Ladd wasn’t being genuine in his remorse.

“A lot of people think that these people were random fans that I got in contact with. Both Halley and Ash, these were people that were my friends,” Mini Ladd said. “Halley, I’ve known for a long time, since maybe 2013 or 2014. Halley was one of my Twitch mods.”

He admitted to knowing Halley was 16, but claimed their discussions on Snapchat were “platonic.” He said he was just after “Snapchat streaks” with friends he trusted. When Halley turned 17, Mini Ladd admitted that the flirtation started.

“And that’s not OK, like, and I’m aware of that. So with Halley, and both with Ash, I sent the messages around this time. And I understand what I’m going to say next is quite taboo online, but if this is my way of putting all my cards on the table and telling you guys what happened, I feel like I need to say it,” Mini Ladd said.

Mini Ladd hasn’t made any tweets or public statements since December 2020.

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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