Twitch CEO Dan Clancy has acknowledged that the company “failed” in both its handling of a physical assault incident involving streamer Emiru at TwitchCon and its subsequent response.

Last weekend, during a Meet and Greet event at TwitchCon, Emiru was assaulted by a man who breached multiple barriers to grab her face and attempt to kiss her. A widely shared video of the incident indicates that TwitchCon staff did not intervene at the time, nor did they check on Emiru’s well-being afterward.

Initially, Twitch released a statement asserting that “the safety and security of all attendees is our highest priority.” They condemned the man’s actions as “completely unacceptable and deeply upsetting,” noting that he had been banned from not only TwitchCon but also from all Twitch events indefinitely.

However, Emiru contested the company’s account of the events, claiming that it was misleading. She stated, “Twitch’s assertion that the man was immediately detained is a blatant lie.” According to her, he was able to leave the Meet and Greet without any immediate repercussions, and she only learned about his capture hours later, presumably due to her manager’s intervention rather than any proactive measures taken by the event staff.

In the aftermath of the incident, Clancy faced backlash for comments he made during a video interview, wherein he suggested that such challenges are reflective of broader societal issues, not just limited to Twitch. He expressed a desire to support Emiru, whom he referred to as a friend, while emphasizing the ongoing need to improve safety measures.

In a follow-up statement, Clancy took full responsibility for the security breach during Emiru’s Meet and Greet, stating, “We failed in both letting it happen and in our response. Our handling of communications regarding the incident was inadequate, and I apologize to Emiru for everything that took place.”

Looking to the future, Twitch is launching a comprehensive review of their Meet and Greet protocols, examining everything from attendee sign-ups to venue layouts and security measures. Clancy pointed out that the review will also include input from staff across various teams to ensure that they are better prepared for future events.

He assured the community that while not all updates regarding security measures would be shared for privacy reasons, they would communicate changes that could affect attendees directly. Clancy reiterated the company’s commitment to attendee safety and acknowledged the significance of TwitchCon to many in the community.

Addressing concerns related to IRL streaming, Clancy noted that while he had specific worries, he highlighted the importance of making TwitchCon accommodating for a diverse range of participants, promising that more information would be shared soon.