Popular Twitch streamer Kai Cenat — who boasts 20 million subscribers on the platform — hopped on a livestream Friday afternoon and encouraged his followers to gather at Union Square Park, where he promised to give away PS5s and other free gaming electronics.
What transpired next was described as a “full-on riot” as an estimated 2,000 teens and young adults descended upon the park, wreaking widespread, well-documented havoc that prompted a massive police mobilization and led to over a dozen arrests.
Many among the out-of-control crowd tossed bottles, jumped on vehicles and taunted cops. Sixty-five people, including Cenat and 30 minors were arrested, police said.
Once he arrived at the iconic greenspace, Cenat live-streamed roughly an hour of the screaming and pulsating crowd on Twitch until the connection was cut.
When the dust somewhat settled, Cenat was taken into custody at a Midtown precinct, where he’ll be charged with two counts of inciting a riot and unlawful assembly in connection to the pandemonium, authorities said.
Friday’s mayhem isn’t the first time that the social media star has landed himself in hot water during his short time in the limelight.
Who is Kai Cenat?
Cenat is a 21-year-old Twitch streamer and YouTube rapper from the Bronx.
Though he has been creating YouTube videos since 2018, Cenat’s social media fame didn’t take off until he launched his Twitch profile in 2021.
He initially used the platform to live stream video games and to chat with fans, who pay between $5 and $25 to view his content.
In February 2023, Cenat broke the record for the most subscriptions on Twitch after topping 300,000, according to Bloomberg.
The streamer achieved the feat during a month-long subscription drive where he constantly kept the record button on — including while he slept.
He was also honored as the “Streamer of the Year” during the Dec. 2022 12th Streamy Awards.
Charity
The Union Square giveaway was meant to be of the many generous givebacks that Cenat, who claims to have once spent time living in a Georgia shelter, enjoys doing.
Earlier this year, the influencer donated $10,000 to a 13-year-old fan suffering from a rare heart condition, according to Essentially Sports.
Streaming bans
Despite his groundbreaking success on the platform, Cenat has been banned from Twitch a jaw-dropping five times.
He was kicked off the platform for a week in April for “repeated explicit simulated activity” during a stream of himself playing Grand Theft Auto 5, Game Rant reported.
Three months earlier, Cenat was banned for passing out during his live stream after ingesting a marijuana edible — which he also ate while on camera.
On two occasions, Cenat was punished for using hateful language.
He was also cited once for accidentally viewing a video on his live-streamed computer that showed nudity.
Rape coverup allegations
In January this year, TikTok stat Jov Pena took to X, formerly known as Twitter, to claim she was brutally raped by one of Cenat’s friends during a New Year’s Eve party hosted by the streamer inside his home.
She alleged that Cenat advised her to sleep in an upstairs guest room when she tried to go home after a heavy night of drinking, according to Dextero.
After Pena confided in Cenat that his friend Djigui Seck allegedly assaulted her, she claims Cenat avoided her messages, did not help identify the alleged assaulter and would not cooperate with police.
Cenat publicly responded on Twitch, stating he does not condone sexual assault and that he consulted with both police and his legal team.