Topline
Actor Michael Rainey Jr. said he’s “still in shock” and attempting to process an incident on social media personality Tylil James’ livestream in which James’ sister allegedly groped Rainey on camera, prompting James to issue an apology and Rainey to condemn sexual assault regardless of gender.
A viral clip on social media appears to show Michael Rainey Jr. being groped while on Tylil James’ … [+]
Key Facts
A clip from a Sunday night livestream hosted by Twitch streamer Tylil James—who has about 130,000 followers on the streaming platform—went viral on social media Monday and appears to depict James’ sister groping actor Michael Rainey Jr. on camera while at least seven other people, including children, are present.
One clip of the incident, which shows Rainey becoming visibly uncomfortable after James’ sister enters the frame and appears to touch him, has more than 31 million views on X and was liked more than 124,000 times.
Later in the stream, James, now alone and speaking directly to the camera, said his sister had never “seen anyone of that caliber” before, referring to Rainey’s celebrity status, adding he wouldn’t say anything bad about his sister but the situation made him “mad.”
The incident sparked outrage on social media, with many angered users defending Rainey and calling for sexual assault against men to be taken more seriously.
James posted a statement to X Monday afternoon, apologizing to Rainey and his family, calling his sister’s actions “completely wrong and out of line” and stating she will no longer appear on his livestreams.
Rainey posted a statement to his more than 3.3 million Instagram followers Monday evening, stating he does not condone the “unfortunate” situation and that “sexual assault is never okay, regardless of gender or status.”
Crucial Quote
“At this point, everyone has seen the video circulating online. I am still in shock and don’t know how to fully process what happened last night. 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,” Rainey said on his Instagram story. “We’re all human, and we should respect each other. Most importantly, we should always respect ourselves.”
Key Background
Rainey, 23, is an actor best known for his roles on the Starz series “Power” and “Power Book II: Ghost.” James is known for his social media presence—his Instagram has more than 230,000 followers and he regularly hosts “The Tylil Show” on Twitch—as well as his friendship with the popular social media personality Kai Cenat, one of the most-followed creators on the Twitch platform.
Surprising Fact
Rapper 50 Cent, an executive producer of “Power,” appeared to make light of the alleged groping in a now-deleted Instagram post, Complex reported. The rapper reportedly posted a screenshot of a TMZ article about Rainey and wrote in the caption: “Wait sexual assault from a male perspective this was an aggressive advance. LOL HE’s fine no charges are being pressed.” According to screenshots published by Complex, several commenters pushed back on the rapper’s caption, accusing him of downplaying the situation and stating that men being sexually assaulted should be taken more seriously.
Further Reading
Power’s Michael Rainey Jr. Says He’s ‘Still Processing’ After Being Sexually Assaulted on Livestream (People)