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Imane "Pokimane" Anys has endured a tumultous year so far, having been subjected to a wave of dissent and criticism online.
From being called out for her hypocritical statements to her online persona at large, the discontent fans harbored for her has continued to simmer. Now, everything has finally reached a breaking point in light of the recent "boyfriend" drama. Due to the intense criticism coming her way, Pokimane announced on August 6 that she would be taking a break from streaming and social media.
After nearly two weeks, Pokimane has now returned to release an official apology video, where she takes accountability for her actions:
Pokimane's apology
Pokimane begins the video by directly addressing the recent drama that has surrounded her, as she says:
This video is to address recent comments and criticisms that I've received. I know this video is long overdue and I honestly planned a vacation for this time but I honestly should not have taken any time off prior to acknowledging or addressing or apologizing for these things.
It shouldn't have taken me this long to come to a proper understanding of how to handle these situations and I apologize for that, but I hope I can do that today.
Pokimane then goes on to address each of the controversies and explains her stance behind them. She begins by mentioning her feud with Keemstar and Bowblax in 2018, which escalated due to her threatening to take down the latter's video.
She reveals that she personally messaged Bowblax and sought to smooth things over on personal chat. Pokimane also denies having intentionally taken down videos and dismisses allegations of censorship.
This is something that I've never done . If someone puts in the time and effort to create a video where they're talking about me, regardless of how positive or negative it is, or if they use clips of me that is very clearly transformative content, I would never take down content like that.
Pokimane then discusses the source of most of her criticism, the ItsAGundam fiasco. Addressing the entire controversy, she explains:
I must admit I reacted really poorly. This led me to making some comments questioning why the video was sponsored, but regardless of my opinion on the content, that's not okay.
I want to sincerely apologize to both ItsAGundam and the sponsor of that video for the remarks and comments that I made.
Moving on to the allegations of using inappropriate language in the past and on stream, she states:
I don't condone the use of that language and I don't want my deletion of these things or my silence now to make it seem otherwise .
I am genuinely so sorry if I offended or hurt anyone with what I said. I really wish I could go back in time and change the past but I do hope that my behavior in regards to language for the last couple of years and onwards will speak for itself.
Pokimane also speaks about how she has no regrets when it comes to her no make-up streams and stresses how difficult being oneself is in a highly demanding and often toxic society that tends to be based upon ideals of perfection.
Finally, Pokimane comes to the boyfriend drama. She states that she plans on keeping her personal life private:
For me, this creates a healthier divide between my work life and my personal life which is an area where the lines are already pretty blurred. I'm happy for others , whatever lifestyle they choose, I just personally feel like everyone has a right to privacy.
I personally want to be able to experience my relationships without the scrutiny of an online audience
In conclusion, she sums up her entire apology by saying:
I have of course a responsibility to myself to take care of my mental health but I also have a responsibility to all of you to improve and to just be a better example. Moving forward, I hope that I can be appreciative of the amazing community that I have and the platforms that I have.
I hope I can do and be better for you all.
With Pokimane's latest apology, expect a barrage of reactions to follow suit, as social media is expected to be abuzz in the fallout of her latest video.
