Jeff Leach, a British streamer and stand-up comedian that this week was dropped by Activision, Facebook Gaming and some of his sponsors, has issued an apology for his actions.
Jeff previously said he would take legal action against another UK streamer, NitroLukeDX, after Luke published a video containing foul-mouthed clips of Jeff, claiming he is sexist, followed by a discussion panel between women gamers denouncing his behaviour. One of the clips was Jeff speaking in a derogatory manner about streamer ZombiUnicorn back in 2017, which would lead to him being banned by Twitch.
Jeff claims the clips were taken out of context and were an assassination on his character, while other clips surfaced of Luke making derogatory comments to people. Subsequently, both Jeff Leach and NitroLukeDX had their partner status revoked by Facebook Gaming, the platform they use to stream.
Today, Jeff Leach, who was also the voice of Ghost in recent Call of Duty games before being dropped by Activision this week, issued an apology.
Jeff’s legal representatives sent Esports News UK the following statement:
“Several members of the media have had questions about comments I have made, and I truly believe you deserve honest answers and an explanation. As you know, passion can be a double-edged sword. First and foremost, I am deeply passionate about creating great work, sharing that work with my audience and using it to lift, entertain, educate and connect more closely to my community. This extends to my acting work, live streams and the online contact I choose to have within the gaming community. That will never change.
“I’m remorseful for misrepresenting my true intentions and apologise to the individuals and the business partners that I may have negatively impacted by these outbursts.”
Jeff Leach
“However, on the other end of the passion spectrum, I have also reacted passionately in situations where I felt attacked, targeted or harassed and I have very occasionally lost control – and that’s what happened to me with a couple of individuals in the gaming community. My rancor towards them was not only wrong but also the antithesis of my relationship with my fan base and the inclusive message I try to promote – and for this, I am deeply sorry but also ashamed.
“Transparency is a huge proponent of my online content. Anyone who has cared to watch a chunk of the 40+ hours of live content I produce each week will be aware of this. However, the use of vitriolic language online always holds the power to cause harm. As stupid as I have acted, I am not an uneducated man and I am not naive to this fact. It’s one of the reasons I have been so vocal on my platforms about ending the toxicity and hate speech that exists in various facets of this industry.
“I’m remorseful for misrepresenting my true intentions and apologise to the individuals and the business partners that I may have negatively impacted by these outbursts. This includes my incredible supporters, moderators who have worked so tirelessly to protect our little online community and the companies who extended opportunity and trust to me and whom I have let down.
“I’m grateful for the words of support and understanding that I have received and I want you all to know that lessons have been learned, my emotions are being worked on and I will continue to be transparent and accountable to those who are generous enough to give me their time and interest.”
It’s not clear whether Jeff still plans on taking legal action against NitroLukeDX against the video he made. We’ve asked Jeff and his representatives for clarification and will update this article if we hear back.
Dom is an award-winning writer and finalist of the Esports Journalist of the Year 2023 award. He graduated from Bournemouth University with a 2:1 degree in Multi-Media Journalism in 2007.
As a long-time gamer having first picked up the NES controller in the late ’80s, he has written for a range of publications including GamesTM, Nintendo Official Magazine, industry publication MCV and others. He worked as head of content for the British Esports Federation up until February 2021, when he stepped back to work full-time on Esports News UK and offer esports consultancy and freelance services. Note: Dom still produces the British Esports newsletter on a freelance basis, so our coverage of British Esports is always kept simple – usually just covering the occasional press release – because of this conflict of interest.
