Prominent streamer Emiru has publicly called on other creators to “seriously consider not attending” upcoming TwitchCon events. Her powerful statement comes after she was publicly assaulted during a meet and greet at the San Diego Convention Center.
Emiru, whose real name is Emily-Beth Schunk, shared her account of the incident online. She described how a man bypassed multiple security barriers, approaching her booth with intent before grabbing her face and attempting to forcibly kiss her. The traumatic event was also recounted in a livestream shortly after it occurred, where the 27-year-old streamer and cosplayer detailed the harrowing experience.
She explained, “I see out of the corner of my eye, there’s a guy walking around the side of the Meet and Greet and he crosses in front of the Meet and Greet of the person to the left of me, which is a VTuber. So he’s able to walk up and in front of another streamer’s Meet and Greet, and then he walks up to me and he’s walking with a purpose, you know what I mean? And then he leans in like he’s going to tell me something, so maybe it’s like he’s TwitchCon staff or something, but I’m freaked out because he grabbed me. That’s not normal. And then he grabs my face, and he leans in, lips puckered, and tries to kiss me and I start screaming. You can’t hear it in the clip, but I’m f***ing screaming my head off.”
Emiru further alleged a severe lack of immediate response from event staff: “Twitch security is nowhere near me. I can see them, but they don’t do anything. My security jumps up and shoves the guy away from me, and he’s allowed to walk away and leave. No one in Twitch staff came up to me to see what was going on.”
A widely shared video captured the unsettling interaction, showing the assailant grabbing Emiru before her personal bodyguard intervened. The man was then seen walking away without being escorted by event security. Emiru stated, “Twitch security were also behind the booth afterwards, joking about how they didn’t even see what happened and immediately laughing and moving on to talking about something else.” She added, “No one was checking if I was okay or if I needed anything and they let the guy run away initially, I have no idea what anyone hired to keep the event safe was doing.”
A social media post from a fan, BaconCrumbz, highlighted the severity of the situation: “So some freak just assaulted Emiru at TwitchCon. This behavior is disgusting. I’m amazed that she still came back to finish the Meet and Greet line, honestly she deserves the utmost of respect. THIS HAS TO STOP!!!”
Despite Emiru confirming she was “okay” after the incident, fans and attendees expressed widespread concern over how easily the assailant was able to approach her before anyone stepped in.
Twitch released its own statement in response, affirming: “The safety and security of all those attending TwitchCon is our highest priority. The behavior displayed by the individual involved in the incident yesterday involving a high-profile streamer was completely unacceptable and deeply upsetting.” The streaming platform indicated that “in line with existing TwitchCon security protocols, law enforcement and event security were on site and responded to the incident. We immediately blocked this individual from returning to the TwitchCon premises, and they are banned indefinitely from Twitch, both online and in-person events. We are coordinating with the impacted creator’s team and, per our standard protocols, continue to cooperate with any law enforcement investigations.”
However, Emiru directly challenged Twitch’s version of events, calling their statement “a blatant lie.” She maintained that the assailant “was allowed to walk away from my meet and greet, and I didn’t hear he was caught until hours after he attacked me.” She felt that action was only taken due to her manager’s persistence, not genuine concern from TwitchCon staff.
Concluding her statement, Emiru declared, “This is definitely my last TwitchCon, and it saddens me to say as a 10-year off-and-on attendee of TwitchCon, I think other creators should seriously consider not attending in the future. I did not feel cared for or protected, even bringing my own security and staff. I can’t imagine how creators without those options would feel.”
During her livestream, she emphasized the broader implications: “It’s not just about me. Like, this could have happened to anyone. Honestly, for all we know, this could have already happened to someone, a small streamer, and someone just wasn’t filming it.” She also expressed doubt that Twitch would have issued a statement if the incident hadn’t gone viral through the circulated clip.
Twitch later stated it had “increased security at the Meet & Greet attendee check-in point and will have additional security personnel surrounding participating streamers,” and restricted +1 access for remaining Meet & Greets. They added, “It’s really important to us that our creators enjoy their experience at TwitchCon and feel safe. We regret that their experience was disrupted by this horrible incident.” Notably, Twitch has not issued further comments or directly addressed Emiru’s allegations.
Numerous streamers and content creators voiced their horror and dismay, criticizing Twitch’s handling of the situation as “unprofessionalism.”
Emiru, expressing that she “could have literally been stabbed,” also revealed that a “global head of Amazon” intervened, flying out to TwitchCon to speak with her manager and security. She has now confirmed her intention to press charges against the assailant, stating, “As for anything else, I don’t know yet, because I’ve been having my manager handle all of those side conversations. So I have no idea, but this is just not okay.”
This report was provided by Vikki Blake, a seasoned reporter, critic, and columnist.