Internet Culture

Leafy banned from YouTube after targeting Pokimane

Pokimane says she had nothing to do with the ban.

Photo of Alexandra Samuels

Alexandra Samuels

leafy youtube pokimane banned

YouTuber Calvin Lee “Leafy” Vail’s had his account permanently terminated due to violations of the platform’s terms and services regarding bullying and harassment. 

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After a long hiatus from the platform, Leafy returned and began making a series of videos about other content creators—primarily Twitch streamer Imane “Pokimane” Anys. 

In his videos, Leafy criticized Pokimane for her content and claimed she had a boyfriend she was hiding from her Twitch subscribers. He also targeted her tier-3 subs, saying they were donating to her and supporting her in hopes that she would notice them. 

Leafly tweeted about Pokimane’s relationship status prior to the ban.

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https://twitter.com/Leafy/status/1296920552330993664

“I still don’t get why the t3 subs are angry,” he wrote. “If pokimane breaks up with her boyfriend because of all this then shouldn’t they be thanking me?”

His videos targeting Pokimane quickly went viral, causing a stir in the online community. Pokimane later took a break from the platform before releasing a video addressing why she keeps her dating life private. 

Leafy’s YouTube was terminated on Aug. 21 for “multiple or severe violations of YouTube’s policy prohibiting content designed to harass, bully or threaten,” Dexerto reports

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In addition to harassing Pokimane, Leafy also targeted other content creators

https://twitter.com/Leafy/status/1296924062476898310

“Pewdiepie is racist,” he tweeted. 

Early Saturday morning, Leafy tweeted about the ban.

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“My channel was suspended yesterday, curious if there is anything I could do to get it reinstated,” he wrote. “Or if there is any statement on this you could give on this.”

https://twitter.com/Leafy/status/1297122824902127616

Pokimane, meanwhile, said on Twitter that she had nothing to do with it. 

“I don’t want my silence to leave room for assumptions,” she said.

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