As Pokimane 'Boyfriend' rumour trends, her subscription witnesses a steep drop

24-year-old Imane 'Pokimane' Anys has recently found herself caught up in a social media storm which refuses to die down. From feuding with Keemstar to being called out for past tweets and hypocritical views, things do not seem to be sailing smoothly for Pokimane currently.

Recently, YouTuber LeafyIsHere dropped a video titled 'Content Nuke' where he not only criticised Pokimane and her fan base, but also revealed a claim which rocked her entire army of fans- that she has a boyfriend.

Soon, #pokimaneboyfriend trended all over social media, and it incited a wide range of reactions online, predominantly from her fans who felt 'betrayed' and outraged at the mere prospect of Pokimane having a boyfriend.

As a result of the controversial video, Pokimane has reportedly been losing subscribers and followers on Twitch.

Boyfriend Fiasco to Subscriber Decline

In his video, Leafy's claim was not even backed by any substantial evidence. Based on a mere allegation, it set the online community raging, especially her fans who went into overdrive.

The fickleness of her fans was further displayed when she tweeted a photo of herself with a cardboard cutout of Barack Obama, labelling him as her boyfriend.

Satire or plain toxic fandom, whatever be the reaction, another section of Pokimane's fans have already begun withdrawing support. Her Twitch subscribers and followers have been declining over the past few days.

In the aftermath of the Leafy video, her daily averages have plummeted to shockingly low levels, according to statistics from Social Blade:

What's next for Pokimane?

As visible in the statistics by Social Blade, Pokimane's massive fan following seems to be heading towards a worrisome decline- a sign which does not bode well for the internet sensation. In an era where the phenomenon of 'Cancel culture' is prevalent, Pokimane seems to tread on thin ice as the scales don't appear to be tipped in her favour.

While the very notion of cancelling someone just because they have a boyfriend seems illogical and reactionary, it goes on to show how toxic fame can actually be. Fans can turn on someone in an instant, and Pokimane currently appears to be embroiled in the corrosive crossfire of it all.

About the author

Saahil is an English Literature graduate, with a Post-Graduate Diploma in Broadcast Journalism.

An entertainment journalist with a strong penchant for anything cinema, travel and the ever-expansive world of pop-culture, he has contributed to film journals and websites such as Film Companion, Film Critics Circle of India, The Telegraph and Humans of Cinema.

Apart from flitting between the works of Shakespeare and Scorsese, he is also a comic-book aficionado, an avid gamer and sports enthusiast, who dabbles between putting in hours on the PlayStation and writing about the same.

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