Michael Rainey Jr. speaks out following an incident where he was inappropriately groped during a livestream, which has since gone viral on social media.
According to People, the Power Book II: Ghost star appeared on TyTy James’ Twitch livestream on Sunday and was fondled without his consent by the streamer’s sister. The young woman approached Rainey Jr. in the clip, but her hands weren’t visible because children blocked the view.
The 23-year-old’s facial expression indicated discomfort as he reached to stop her from touching him. He left the livestream shortly after the incident.
Tylil’s sister sexually assaults Actor Michael Rainey Jr on stream he then abruptly left the stream 20 mins later 😬😬 pic.twitter.com/Mc0CS3bm32
— FearBuck (@FearedBuck) June 10, 2024
Rainey Jr. took to his Instagram Stories on Monday and shared a statement about the now-viral incident.
“At this point, everyone has seen the video circulating online. I am still in shock and don’t fully know how to process what happened last night,” he wrote in his Instagram Story. “This is an unfortunate situation that I do not condone in any way. I can’t take it lightly because I know I would be in serious trouble if the roles were reversed. The fact is, sexual assault is never okay, regardless of gender or status. We’re all human, and we should respect each other. Most importantly, we should always respect ourselves.”
James also shared a statement, apologizing to Rainey Jr. and his family while condemning his sister’s actions.
“My little sister was completely wrong and out of line. What she did was very inappropriate and unacceptable. I am truly embarrassed and disgusted by her actions,” he said in his Instagram Stories, per People.
“I completely respect whatever direction Michael wants to go in this situation. After watching the clip, I was completely taken aback by what she done. I will take extreme precautions with future streams to avoid similar issues and have banned her from participating in future streams. I do not condone any type of assault,” he added.
Power creator 50 Cent shared his thoughts on the incident shortly after Rainey Jr.’s statement, emphasizing that it wasn’t sexual assault, Complex reported.
“Wait sexual assault 😟 from a male perspective this was an aggressive advance. LOL HE’s fine no charges are being pressed. 🤷🏽♂️,” 50 wrote in a now-deleted Instagram post.
