Stranger Things actress Grace Van Dien has opened up about the sexist hate she received after joining esports organization FaZe Clan.
“When I was announced… everyone was like: ‘do she even game, bro?’ I mean, you can look at my Twitch, it’s right there. I don’t get it at all,” she said in the Two Women Talking podcast on June 7.
She sat down with Call of Duty content creator Ashtronova to speak to her about the sexism female gamers face and share past experiences.
Referring to her signing with FaZe on May 25, Van Dien said she felt discriminated against for calling out sexist haters in the community and people complaining about her being too sensitive.
“If you’re sensitive, all of the sudden, that means you’re victimizing yourself and it’s like: ‘I might just be sensitive especially to sexist, degrading comments and that’s okay,” she said.
“Sucks to be treated not like a human. Which is how girls in this industry are treated most of the time. it’s crazy,” she added.
Related: XQc says he knows how to ‘save FaZe’ as org struggles through massive changes
Ashtronova also shared her past struggles with sexism in the industry. She explained she had to “accept the toxicity” when she entered the CoD community and dismissed sexist jokes by laughing at them rather than calling them out.
“I’m starting to change and calling things out… since I’ve been seeing other women doing it,” Ashtronova added. “Getting the support of other women, and also seeing a lot of people who follow me who are men and they’re on my side.”
Van Dien’s signing with FaZe was met with hostility on May 25. The organization was already receiving backlash due to mass layoffs announced the week prior, and the hate was redirected to the Stranger Things actress.
FaZe content creator Rain was particularly vocal about the organization’s decisions, expressing discontent with the org signing a TV personality like Van Dien rather than grassroots talents. The conflict with Van Dien escalated after an in-person argument on June 1.
Published: Jun 8, 2023 04:55 am