YouTuber Sam Pepper has admitted to injuring a young girl with a firecracker during Diwali celebrations in New Delhi. The 36-year-old content creator was filmed firing rockets at locals, one of which struck an eight-year-old girl, reportedly causing her to lose an eye. Following the incident, Pepper was banned from streaming platforms like Kick and crypto platform Pump.fun.
Pepper, whose full name is Samuel Nicholas Pepper, is a British internet personality who first gained notoriety on Big Brother UK in 2010. He later transitioned to YouTube, where he became known for extreme prank videos that often crossed ethical boundaries, drawing significant backlash. Over the years, Pepper has reinvented his online persona multiple times, from pranks to vlogging, TikTok comedy, and livestreaming.
His career has been plagued by numerous controversies, including allegations of sexual misconduct, staged pranks, and controversial online behavior. In 2014, he faced widespread criticism for his “Fake Hand A** Pinch Prank” video, which was later defended as a “social experiment.” This was followed by accusations of sexual assault from multiple women, including a detailed account published by BuzzFeed News.
Further controversy arose in 2015 with his “Killing Best Friend Prank” video, which depicted a staged kidnapping and shooting, causing distress to viewers. In 2021, Pepper was involved in the “Save the Kids” cryptocurrency scandal, accused of manipulating the token’s mechanics for personal gain. In 2023, he was briefly arrested in Australia following a livestream involving an escort that led to allegations of sexual misconduct.