Valkyrae Slams Her Creepy Fans

Rachell ‘Valkyrae’ Hofstetter, a YouTube streamer and co-owner of 100 Thieves, has spoken out against fans’ “creepy” shipping of her and male friends, noting that it makes her uncomfortable.

Valkyrae is one of the world’s most popular streamers. She is not only a co-owner and content creator for Nadeshot’s 100 Thieves esports organization, but she is also the most-watched female streamer on YouTube for several years. The YouTube star was seen grabbing some mukbang with friends on May 7, but the stream was overshadowed by remarks made by viewers as they observed Hofstetter interact with male acquaintances. 

Shortly after the stream finished, Valkyrae called out the comments, saying they make her and her friends feel “uncomfortable” and equivalent to “insanity.” 

She wrote on her alternate Twitter account, “Please stop shipping me with friends. It’s really uncomfortable & creepy. Literally EVERY guy friend I interact with comes with some random anonymous accounts making not only the worst/wildest assumptions but they get mad when I’m not interacting with their “favorite”. Insanity.”

The allegations not only generate false rumors, but they also become toxic if Valkyrae responds in a way that contradicts audience expectations. 

This isn’t the first time Valkyrae has had to ask fans to stop shipping her with another member of the gaming community. She scolded fans for shipping her with Minecraft creator Dream in early 2021, calling it “terrible.” Similar issues have arisen with male streamers, most recently when Ninja announced that he would not stream with other ladies out of respect for his marriage. Some defended the Fortnite star, while others accused him of being sexist. Let’s hope that, in the future, people will be able to appreciate streamers’ interactions with their friends for what they are.