"I apologize for the disruption and damage to the community" - Kai Cenat addresses the riots caused in New York during his PS5 giveaway

Popular Twitch streamer Kai Cenat has officially addressed the riots caused in New York during his PS5 giveaway last year. For those unaware, Cenat hosted an impromptu meet-and-greet in New York's Union Square Park on August 5, 2023. He also announced that he planned to give away 300 Sony PlayStation 5 consoles.

However, things took a turn for the worse when hundreds of people flooded in, sparking a riot. Eventually, NYPD Chief of Department Jeffrey Maddrey announced that the two-time Streamer of the Year award winner would be charged with "multiple counts."

On May 8, 2024, reports surfaced on social media, suggesting that the Manhattan District Attorney's office had declined to prosecute Cenat and others for inciting riots.

X user @FearedBuck provided details about the matter, writing:

"Manhattan DA's office has declined to prosecute Kai Cenat and others for the 2023 Union Square riot after they paid a combined $57K in restitution, apologized, and no arrests (were) made. Kai Cenat must keep this apology posted on Snapchat for 24 hours, and the case will be dismissed."

On the same day, Cenat apologized on Snapchat for "unintentionally" causing a dangerous and unsafe situation. He wrote:

"When I promoted a giveaway PS5s in Union Square Park, it created an unintentional dangerous situation due to the way I promoted and advertised it. The result was an unsafe situation for the people who live and work in the neighborhood, first responders, and my followers that attended the event. I apologize for the disruption and damage to the community, the part, the vehicles, and the storefronts in the area."

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"I have learned a very valuable lesson" - Kai Cenat takes accountability for inciting riots in 2023

In a Snapchat update posted earlier today (May 8, 2024), Kai Cenat mentioned being a New York native, stating that he "would never want" the city turned "upside down" because of irresponsible and dangerous behavior. He added that he wanted to do "something cool and fun" by giving away hundreds of PS5 consoles. However, he should have handled the announcement better.

Claiming that he "never" intended to incite riots in The Big Apple, the 22-year-old said:

"It was never my intent for it to get so out of hand, and I have learned a very valuable lesson that social media is a very powerful tool to do good, but it can also cause dangerous unwanted situations if it is not used properly."

The Twitch streamer's Snapchat update, dated May 8, 2024 (Image via @FearedBuckX)

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Kai Cenat is a top-ranking Twitch streamer who recently amassed over 10 million followers on his channel. He is also a key member of the popular streamer organization Any Means Possible, also known as AMP.