Dr Disrespect has spoken up for the first time in over two weeks in conversations with multiple news outlets, but the streamer declined to comment on why he might have been banned from Twitch and provided only vague details about what might come next.
The streamer, real name Herschel “Guy” Beahm, told The Washington Post that he wasn’t interested in “engaging crazy speculation” about the reasons behind his apparent ban. He’s “considering” a lawsuit against Twitch, according to PC Gamer, and he’s starting to figure out what the Doc’s return will look like. He also said he took a short vacation to the beach. “I’ve been dealing with a lot of stress and anxiety,” Beahm said.
Beahm’s Twitch account disappeared in late June in an apparent ban from the platform. Twitch has not explained why he was removed or even explicitly confirm that he was banned, and Beahm has said that Twitch gave no reason for his removal. Beahm told the Post that he is still unsure of what happened. “Honestly, we just don’t know,” he said.
Twitch signed Beahm, one of the most popular streamers on its platform, to a lucrative exclusivity contract earlier this year, making the fissure between the two parties all the more confounding. Beahm’s disappearance from the platform came as Twitch was cracking down on accusations of harassment and assault against streamers, but no allegations have been made publicly against him.
Dr Disrespect hasn’t been without controversy, though. He was temporarily banned from Twitch in 2019 after streaming from a men’s bathroom at a gaming convention. He was also been criticized for performing a racist caricature on stream in 2018.
Beahm didn’t offer many details about how or when he’ll return, but he’s clearly thinking about it. He told CNN he’s not looking for an exclusivity deal and that, in the future, he could stream on multiple platforms, like YouTube, Facebook, or his own website. Beahm told PC Gamer that his team is working on a “vision” for what his return looks like, building out “the whole Doc 3.0 experience to the next level.”
Fans have been waiting for weeks to hear from Beahm about what comes next. The Doc is speaking again, but for now, where he’ll stream next, what might have happened with Twitch, and how he plans to address his falling out with the platform are still wide-open questions.