Twitch Bans Dr Disrespect

Today, out of the blue, Twitch suspended massively popular streamer Guy “Dr Disrespect” Beahm, a ban that multiple sources tell Kotaku is permanent.

Initially, people suspected that he’d tripped a wire in Twitch’s increasingly aggressive DMCA detection system, but that does not appear to be the case. Industry insider and journalist Rod “Slasher” Breslau said on Twitter that, according to his sources, the ban is permanent. Streamer Shannon “ShannonZKiller” Plante said she’d heard the same from her own sources, adding that the issue is “serious.” Two sources close to Twitch have told Kotaku that the ban is permanent as well.

When reached for more information on why Dr Disrespect has been suspended and for how long, a Twitch representative told Kotaku in an email, “As is our process, we take appropriate action when we have evidence that a streamer has acted in violation of our Community Guidelines or Terms of Service. These apply to all streamers regardless of status or prominence in the community.”

Last year, Dr Disrespect was temporarily suspended from Twitch after broadcasting from a public bathroom during E3. That was the only prior time his channel had been removed from the site.

However, over the years, Dr Disrespect has gained a reputation for toeing the line and getting away with stunts that other streamers would likely receive punishment for. Most recently, he spread and endorsed baseless coronavirus conspiracy theories. He received no public punishment for this, even after another streamer, Kaceytron, got suspended over coronavirus jokes. More broadly, he made a habit of starting shit with streamers and engaging in other sorts of toxicity while leaning on his Dr Disrespect character to give himself plausible deniability any time he took things too far. Despite everything, he became one of Twitch’s biggest, most well-promoted stars. Late last year, he even secured a TV show development deal.

Now, though, the future of his whole career appears very much up in the air.