Warning: This article mentions topics related to suicide
Despite content creator Kai Cenat boasting 14.9 million followers on Twitch, the streamer finds himself amid calls for him to be banned .
As part of his 30-day November subathon called 'Mafiathon 2', Kai Cenat has welcomed celebrity guests like Snoop Dogg, Marshmello, and Serena Williams. He broke records to become the first Twitch streamer to have over 500,000 subscribers, and at the time of writing, he's smashed that again to boast over 664,000 subs.
Still, Mafiathon 2 hasn't come without its controversy.
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Things went drastically wrong when Cenat and his friends met with Max Major, aka Magician Max, during a November 26 livestream.
As part of the stunt, the topless magician stood on a yellow stool with a noose around his neck. Cenat was told to pull one of two ropes, with Major saying he was sure the streamer would make the 'right' decision. When Cenat yanked one of the cords, the magician was dragged into the air by his neck and seemingly hanged.
Medics ran in and the cameraman pulled away as a seemingly distressed Cenat was held back. Cenat shouted 'what' and then added: "What the f**k? Wait, no, no! I'm not getting banned....I might get banned! Is he good? I'll stay here. I'll stay here! Can I stay here?"
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Cenat isn't the only one who is worried, with others sharing their thoughts online.
Among those thinking Cenat could be banned for showing a hanged man is fellow streamer Felix "xQc" Lengyel. Lengyel says that his rival violated a 'major' Twitch rule: "If you do, like a fake swatting, insta ban. I think the same thing applies here, because otherwise, people would do some weird sh*t on stream for views. It’s just odd."
Still, Lengyel says it appears like Cenat wasn't in on the joke, suggesting it's not his fault.
There were plenty of vocal critics online, with someone writing: "I'm not digging Kai Cenat hanging that guy as a stunt even if he didn't know he should've immediately shut it down. I've been a subscriber for years & I'm extremely bothered s*icide isn't a joke, along with joking about hanging, especially around African Americans."
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Another complained: "For whatever reason the Kai Cenat situation is on my tl. u cannot say that guy is innocent and didn't know what "trick" it was going to be. be fucking real, he literally saw (idk if he helped set it up or not) the gallows and let it continue. his FIRST concern was getting banned.
When Cenat returned to his setup, he found a note from Major with a URL for a YouTube video.
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In a video titled "A message to Kai Cenat", Major explained how he pulled off the prank. Saying it's all about 'choices' that Cenat has been making since the pair met, the magician explained: "Since the first time we met, you pushed me, you challenged me, and you wanted to see me fail."
Cenat has defended his innocence, saying, "Max literally told my team that he was doing whole other sh*t at the end that was nothing related to that." Although Cenat asked for Max to come back to his setup to explain that the streamer wasn't in on the 'prank', Major said they'll have to 'let the story be what it is.'
Something tells us Cenat won't be having a magician on his inevitable Mafiathon 3 stream.
If you or someone you know needs mental health assistance right now, call National Suicide Prevention Helpline on 1-800-273-TALK (8255). The Helpline is a free, confidential crisis hotline that is available to everyone 24 hours a day, seven days a week.