Actor Michael Rainey Jr. is speaking out after a video appeared to show he was sexually assaulted on a livestream.
In an Instagram story on Monday, the “Power” star, 23, said he is “still in shock” and doesn’t “fully know how to process what happened last night.” The incident occurred on a stream broadcast by Tylil James, who hosts “The Tylil Show” on the live video platform Twitch and has more than 100,000 followers there.
A video that circulated on social media showed Rainey standing in a room full of people during the stream when a woman appears to grab his crotch, making him visibly uncomfortable. The woman’s hand is obscured in the footage by two young children.
“This is an unfortunate situation that I do not condone in any way,” the actor said. “I can’t take it lightly because I know I would be in serious trouble if the roles were reversed.”
The alleged assault occurred while other participants in the stream were engaged in conversation, and it did not appear they initially noticed what happened.
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He added, “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.”
USA TODAY has reached out to representatives for Rainey.
Rainey is known for his role as Tariq St. Patrick in the “Power” franchise, including “Power Book II: Ghost.” The first part of its final season held its premiere in New York City last week and premiered Friday on Starz.
He has also had roles on “Orange Is the New Black” and in the films “The Butler” and “Barbershop: The Next Cut.”
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In an Instagram story, James apologized to Rainey and said the woman who seemingly groped him is his sister. “My little sister was completely wrong and out of line,” he said. “What she did was very inappropriate and unacceptable. I am truly embarrassed and disgusted by her actions.”
James pledged to take “extreme precautions with future streams to avoid similar issues” and said he has banned his sister from participating. “I do not condone any type of assault,” he wrote.
‘Power’ co-creator 50 Cent appears to downplay Michael Rainey Jr. assault
Rapper 50 Cent, the co-creator of the “Power” franchise, took to Instagram this week to comment on the alleged assault, appearing to downplay what happened in a since-deleted post.
“Wait sexual assault from a male perspective this was an aggressive advance. LOL HE’s fine no charges are being pressed. ♂️,” 50 wrote, according to a screenshot shared by Complex.
Commenters quickly defended Rainey and questioned the rap star’s take. “This was sexual assault. She touched him without his consent. Don’t down play this,” one user wrote.
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In the comments section of Rainey’s most recent Instagram post, some fans urged the actor to take legal action.
“Please press charges on her, because if the roles were reversed you would’ve been in jail,” one comment, which received more than 3,000 likes, read.
Another fan wrote, “Sorry that happened to you Michael, what she did was wrong and i hate that it’s taken lightly or as a joke when this happens to men.”
James said in his Instagram story that he respects “whatever direction Michael wants to go in this situation.”
If you or someone you know has experienced sexual violence, RAINN’s National Sexual Assault Hotline offers free, confidential, 24/7 support to survivors and their loved ones in English and Spanish at: 800-656-HOPE (4673) and Hotline.RAINN.org and en Español RAINN.org/es.
Contributing: Taijuan Moorman