PewDiePie sorry over N-word tirade in livestream
STOCKHOLM: YouTube’s most watched blogger PewDiePie apologised on Tuesday for using a racial slur while playing a livestreamed videogame, saying there were “no excuses” for what he said.
In a video clip available since Sunday, the 27-year-old Swede, whose real name is Felix Kjellberg, could be heard using the N-word in an expletive-laden tirade at his opponent. In a new YouTube video posted on Tuesday that was viewed more than 450,000 times within three hours, Kjellberg said he was “sorry”.
PewDiePie is known for posting humourous clips and playing livestreamed videogames for his more than 57 million followers on YouTube.
It was not the first time Kjellberg had been in controversy. In February, he lost contracts with YouTube and Disney over antiSemitic comments, and was temporarily blocked from Twitter in September after joking he had joined the Islamic State group.
“I’m disappointed in myself because it seems like I’ve learned nothing from all these past controversies,” Kjellberg said.
“I’m just an idiot, but that doesn’t make what I said or how I said it okay. It was not okay.”
One game developer said he was going to file a complaint to prevent the Swede from playing his games online.
“He’s worse than a closeted racist: he’s a propagator of despicable garbage that does real damage to the culture around this industry,” developer Sean Vanaman tweeted. AFP