The Twitch streamer who said broke viewers 'should be working' apologized after intense backlash, calling her comments 'tone-deaf'

• Twitch streamer InvaderVIe apologized on Wednesday for "tone-deaf, insensitive" comments in which she previously said that anyone watching her online could afford her full membership fee. Viewers said she tried to "shame" them into giving money to the creator.
• Her previous comments had made waves online, as viewers felt she was being insensitive towards the millions worldwide who have lost their jobs due to the coronavirus pandemic.
• "What I said was tone-deaf, insensitive, and stupid," InvaderVie said on Wednesday. "I recognize that there is no context I could give that would excuse what I said. I can only own what I said, and I will."
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A Twitch streamer who previously said that broke viewers who couldn't afford her full subscription fee "should be working" has apologized for "insensitive and stupid" comments.

"What I said was tone-deaf, insensitive, and stupid," InvaderVie said during a livestream on Wednesday. "I recognize that there is no context I could give that would excuse what I said. I can only own what I said, and I will."

During her April 14 broadcast, the streamer had said she was bothered by viewers who watched for free and claimed they couldn't afford to pay for her subscription. "If you don't have $10, you probably don't have time to watch Twitch, because you should be working," she said.

When commenters said that they could only afford to pay for their food and bills, she doubled down. "No one's going to convince me that what I'm saying is so rude, or so unacceptable, or so outrageous. It just simply isn't," she said.

Viewers among her 148,000 Twitch followers said she had tried to "shame" them into giving money.

But on Wednesday, she changed her tune. InVaderVie, a 29-year-old from Toronto whose real name is not publicly shared, said the comments were incongruous with what she believes.

"The clip that you saw does not represent my true feelings. I've streamed for hundreds of hours and I've said, 'support communities after you support yourself first. Subscribe if you have the disposable income to do so.' But in that clip, I expressed opinions that I do not hold, at all. I said things that I don't mean, and they were vile," she said.

Her previous comments had made waves online, as viewers felt she was being insensitive towards the millions worldwide who have lost their jobs due to the coronavirus pandemic. Unemployment rates in the US are approaching Great Depression levels.

Influencers and celebrities have found themselves in hot water during the pandemic, as they appear to be increasingly out of touch with their fans.

The streamer said she now understands that she made a mistake by judging her viewers and their financial situations.

"What I said was wrong in any context, but especially in the context of a global pandemic. It was very callous and inappropriate," she said. "I know that you've lost jobs. I know that you're afraid for your own security, and I know that what I said was incredibly hurtful and wrong. And I take responsibility for it."

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