Where video games and celebrity meet, there is often controversy. This is now the case with Daniel Avidan, co-host of the YouTube show Game Grumps, the group also responsible for Soviet Jump Game. Daniel Avidan is also part of the band Ninja Sex Party.
The controversy centers around a pattern that has, allegedly, been widely known to members of the LA cosplay community for many years. Apparently, Avidan has a history of holding phone and text conversations and relationships with young female fans, having sexual encounters with them, and later, withdrawing from all contact. While this has been brought up in the past, only recently has one woman come forward with more evidence of this as it happened to her.
The story, which has led to grooming allegations as opposed to more general sexual misconduct is thus: the woman in question contacted Avidan at 17. At this time, there was no sexual conversation. The two remained connected and, after several years, their conversations became sexual. This led to an eventual meeting and sexual encounter, and a short time later “all contact from Dan ceased.”
This is not the first time that Avidan has been said to ghost women he has dated or sexted, and he has reportedly gained a reputation for doing so. One of the most prominent accusations comes from Kati Schwartz, who first wrote a play called “Bad People” in which one character seems to be meant as a stand-in for Avidan. Schwartz later stated outright “Dan Avidan is a dangerous man and a predator.” Again, the unfortunate reality is that accusations of sexual misconduct in the videogame industry are not uncommon.
The surprise comes from the reputation Dan has cultivated as a friendly person, and many fans are declaring that he should not be condemned. Their counter-argument is that the sex was between two consenting adults and, as the conversation was not sexual before the woman in question was of age, no crime was committed. While criticisms against predatory men have gotten and should continue to receive credence, these accusations have not yet coalesced into something damning from a legal perspective.
That said, if Avidan’s habit of ghosting his younger fans turns out to be true, it is, at the very least, morally reprehensible. In particular, situations like Avidan’s, where there is a power imbalance between himself (a celebrity) and his partner (a fan) are seldom entirely healthy for all involved. Splinter Cell‘s creative director resigned over allegations of sexual misconduct, although his were far more serious. Game Grumps has not yet issued an official response.
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