In a recent podcast released on April 19, 2025, popular streamer Imane “Pokimane” Anys opened up about a disturbing incident involving a former Twitch employee who pretended to be in a romantic and sexual relationship with her to manipulate and emotionally blackmail other women in the streaming community.
🕵️♂️ The Shocking Backstory
The incident traces back to 2019, but Pokimane first hinted at the issue in March 2023, without naming the individual. Now, in 2025, she’s shared the full story.
The man was a longtime Twitch engineer working in the Security and Safety Department—the very team meant to protect female streamers from online harassment, including deepfake porn and inappropriate content. He also happened to be one of Pokimane’s moderators and was deeply connected in the community, gaining trust through his position.
🎭 Faked Chats & Emotional Manipulation
What he did was deeply manipulative. He edited real, innocent conversations with Pokimane to create fake dialogue—such as fabricating messages where she supposedly invited him to her hotel room. He then used these falsified chats to convince other women that he was her boyfriend and victim of emotional abuse.
He told these women that Pokimane mistreated him, saying things like:
“We’d meet up at TwitchCon. She abused me emotionally and romantically.”
This was part of a sick narrative to gain sympathy, trigger a “savior complex”, and ultimately coerce the women into intimate or emotional connections.
📸 Fake Nudes & Deep Violations
The most horrifying part? According to Pokimane, this man also sent fake nudes of her to these women—while he was supposed to be protecting streamers from such abuse. He did this in a manipulative attempt to get them to send their own explicit images in return.
“That’s psycho sh*t,” Pokimane said with visible disgust.
He even leaked Pokimane’s Twitch earnings, abusing his access for personal gain.
🧩 How the Truth Came Out
The man’s web of lies began to unravel when the women he targeted compared notes and discovered the inconsistencies. They then reached out to Pokimane’s management, who had already been keeping some of the most disturbing evidence from her to protect her mental health.
Eventually, everything came to light, and action was taken against the man—though it’s unclear what consequences he faced at Twitch.
💬 Pokimane’s Closing Thoughts
Pokimane bravely opened up about this dark chapter to warn others, calling it a form of sexual manipulation and emotional abuse. Her honesty sheds light on how power can be abused, even inside platforms meant to protect creators.
