Twitch has unbanned NBA player and streamer Meyers Leonard one week after he was banned for using an anti-Semitic slur on stream.
During a game of Call of Duty: Warzone, the Miami Heat power forward called a player in the game a “k*ke bitch,” resulting in Twitch banning his account. FaZe Clan, of which Leonard is an investor, also said it was “cutting ties” with him, although according to esports reporter Jake Lucky, Leonard is still an investor in the company.
According to Lucky, FaZe CEO Lee Trink said the process of severing ties with investors such as Leonard is extremely difficult.
Several other companies also cut ties with Leonard following the incident, including ASTRO Gaming and Corsair subsidiaries Origin PC and Scuf Gaming.
The Miami Heat and NBA said they would be reviewing the clip, resulting in the Heat releasing its own statement condemning Leonard’s actions and saying he would be “away from the team indefinitely.”
In a statement following his ban, Leonard apologized and claimed he wasn’t aware of the meaning of the word at the time but had plans to reach out to people who could educate him about anti-Semitic hate.
While Leonard’s Twitch account is back on the platform, the streamer has not gone live.
