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YouTube sensation Darren "IShowSpeed" became one of the fastest-growing content creators on the platform in 2022. He surpassed 10 million subscribers on his main channel, and thousands of viewers tuned in to watch his livestreams.
2022 was also the year in which the former Twitch streamer witnessed some of the biggest controversies. He was swatted and handcuffed live on stream and lit a firecracker inside the house that filled his room with smoke.
This article breaks down the YouTuber's 2022 and highlights some of the most viral and controversial moments.
Recapping IShowSpeed's 2022 so far
1) IShowSpeed gets swatted and handcuffed live on stream
On August 9, Darren was swatted during an IRL livestream. Several police officers surrounded the streamer, one of whom handcuffed him. IShowSpeed's initial reaction to the harrowing situation was:
"Oh, bro! Oh my god, I swear, I didn't do anything, bro! I didn't do s**t. Oh my god!"
A police officer told the streamer's associate, who was handling the camera at the time, to move away and turn off the camera. The broadcast continued for a few seconds more before the cameraman stated:
"Yo, chat! Spam L into that. They making us turn it off."
On the same day, Darren's friend and popular Twitch streamer Adin Ross was also swatted. He updated the streaming community in a Twitter video, revealing that Darren was doing well after the incident. He stated:
"I also heard that Speed just got hit with a swat attack as well. So, it's a sick, cruel world we live in, man! But I appreciate everyone checking in up on me and you know, I just got off the phone with Speed, and he's doing good."
2) IShowSpeed promotes an alleged cryptocurrency scam and faces backlash from the community
On November 17, 2022, Darren hosted a two-hour broadcast in which he collaborated with the founders of The Paradox Metaverse, a metaverse/cryptocurrency project.
The livestream also included a person who shared an uncanny resemblance to Cristiano Ronaldo:
As the stream progressed, IShowSpeed began promoting the project by encouraging his fans to visit their Instagram page and follow them. He stated:
"Yo, bro! Everybody follow Paradoxmeta.io! Please follow them right now!... Follow them right now so I can see what this is, bro! They're saying I'm going to be very happy, bro! Just follow them, please, bro! Like, I genuinely want to see who the hell he is, bro!"
A few clips were posted to the r/LivestreamFail subreddit, with the streaming community expressing their concerns about the cryptocurrency project. Several Redditors called out IShowSpeed for allegedly promoting a scam:
The following day, Darren admitted to making a mistake and apologized to his audience, saying:
"I made a little mistake, you know, that I wish I never did, but I'm not a scammer, bro. I dare on my life, I would never scam you guys. Just remember that, bro. I dare about my life. I care about you guys so freaking much, bro! I love y'all so much, bro!"
3) IShowSpeed lights a Pikachu-themed firecracker inside his room and instantly regrets his decision
Darren went viral on the internet earlier this year, on July 4, 2022. It all started when he decided to celebrate Independence Day by bursting a Pikachu-themed firecracker inside his room:
(Timestamp 45:22)
The Ohio native believed that the fireworks would not be too explosive. However, things started to take a turn when sparks began to fly all over his room, eventually filling it with smoke.
Darren quickly called for his mother's assistance, and the latter was taken aback by the former's antics. The broadcast abruptly ended when firefighters arrived at the scene.
4) Other controversies
IShowSpeed traveled across the United Kingdom in November, hoping to meet his idol, Cristiano Ronaldo, in person. After going viral in the UK, Sky Sports collaborated with the YouTuber and got together on November 13:
A few days later, Sky Sports removed clips featuring Darren from their official social media handles after his past controversial and misogynistic videos resurfaced.
IShowSpeed responded on November 19, stating that he made the comments when he was 16 years old and that his previous statements were "stupid and immature."
His Twitter address concluded with him stating that he is "learning every day."
