UpdatedTue, October 27, 2026 at 5:56 AM UTC
Imane ‘Pokimane’ Anys has found herself at the center of online criticism following her recent post about fellow streamer Atrioc, with social media users bringing up a controversial chapter from her past.
The Moroccan-Canadian streamer and YouTuber touched upon Atrioc’s 2023 deepfake controversy in a Twitch stream on October 25. The fellow streamer, whose real name is Brandon Ewing, was involved in a deepfake controversy in 2023, where he allegedly paid for deepfake images of many female streamers, including Pokimane and QTCinderella.
Social media users did not like Anys’ remarks, given her own controversial past. Following her recent remarks about Atrioc, X user @TerrellCamp03 revived the Moroccan-Canadian streamer’s own problematic past, where she allegedly used the N-word multiple times to address a fellow player during a stream in 2013. Mimicking Anys’ actions by bringing up Atrioc’s problematic past, the X user reminded her of her own history:
“I’m traumatized from when you said N-word multiple times. Should we go back and cancel you too?”
Pokimane faces heavy backlash after her post on Atrioc
Social media users are confused as to why Anys brought up the controversy again, saying she was ‘so uncomfortable’ and ‘publicly humiliated’ by Atrioc’s actions, which were ‘so obviously wrong.’ The streamer maintained that she was sharing her side of the story and how the controversy still affected her and was ‘not trying to cancel anyone.’
Many social media users were suspicious about the timing of Anys’ post, which came days after the high-profile wedding of streamers Ludwig Ahgren and QTCinderella. While Atrioc, a close friend of Ludwig, attended the wedding, Pokimane reportedly did not get an invitation. An X user speculated that Pokimane likely revived the 2023 controversy after being left out of the high-profile wedding:
“We get it, Atrioc went to QTs wedding and you didn’t, so you have to drag his skeletons back out of the closet for social media points.”
Why is Pokimane facing heavy criticism?
Pokimane is facing particularly heavy criticism due to her own problematic past, especially the 2013 N-word controversy. In addition to the 2013 controversy, Anys has been involved in several major online controversies throughout her career, including copyright disputes, community clashes, and viral public statements, which are gaining attention on social media.
Many users argue that if the streamer expects her community to move past her early mistakes, she should afford the same courtesy to someone who has actively spent years making amends.
Additionally, social media users believe the streamer should move on from the controversy, as Atrioc took full responsibility for his actions at the time, even stepping away from streaming for months. The streamer also invested heavily in building tools to help take down deepfake content affecting female creators. Following Pokimane’s recent comments, Atrioc addressed the controversy again, saying he skipped ‘TwitchCon’ because he didn’t want to ‘make anyone uncomfortable.’
While Anys’ actions are being labelled as petty retaliation rather than a genuine expression of trauma, people appreciate Atrioc for owning up to his past mistakes. An X user was impressed with his apology:
“Probably the most genuine apology I’ve heard on the internet.”
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