What’s Brewing? Week’s biggest drama: NikkieTutorials robbed at gunpoint, Epic vs Apple, more
YouTube: Jake Paul, shroud, Nikkie Tutorials[jwplayer mgzBNoPb]One of YouTube’s biggest makeup moguls is robbed at gunpoint, Jake Paul comes clean about the FBI raid, and shroud returns to Twitch after Mixer’s shutdown… This week was chock full of insane moments, and we’ve got all the tea you need to stay updated on the madness.
So… what’s brewing?
NikkieTutorials robbed at gunpoint
Who’s involved? Nikkie de Jager, otherwise known by her online moniker ‘NikkieTutorials,’ is one of YouTube’s most popular beauty gurus, who went viral in January after being forced to come out as transgender due to an unidentified blackmailer.
What’s the tea? Fans of the YouTuber grew increasingly concerned after a Dutch news outlet reported that an armed robbery had taken place a property on August 8, claiming that at least three people were involved and one injured.
Zojuist melding van een overval op een woning aan de Pnemstraat in #Uden. De daders bedreigden de bewoners met mogelijk een vuurwapen en maakten hen een onbekende buit afhandig. Er is sprake van minimaal 3 daders die in een beige personenauto gevlucht zijn richting de A50. pic.twitter.com/9dhbXsaxr2
— Politie Eenheid Oost-Brabant (@POL_OostBrabant) August 8, 2020
Nikkie gave viewers an update via social media, revealing that the terrifying incident had, indeed, taken place at her home, and that she and her fiance Dylan had been “attacked” by the robber.
“Earlier today, one of my biggest nightmares became reality when we got robbed under gunpoint at our own home,” she wrote. “Dylan and myself got attacked, but physically, we’re okay. Mentally, it’s a whole other story.”
I love you 💞 pic.twitter.com/eMiKcPIZrd
— NikkieTutorials (@NikkieTutorials) August 8, 2020
Nikkie has also stated that she is taking time away from social media to recuperate with fans’ blessings — but with both and armed robbery and blackmail happening to the star, we have to wonder who exactly has it out for one of YouTube’s sweetest content creators, and why?
Jake Paul opens up about FBI investigation
Who’s involved? YouTube star and Team 10 founder Jake Paul shocked the net after his Calabasas mansion was raided by the FBI on August 5, as well as the Graffiti Mansion of his pseudo-manager, Armani Izadi.
Reports revealed that the raid was in connection with Paul’s appearance at an Arizona looting in late May, with officers confiscating a “small militia’s” worth of weapons from the premises.
https://twitter.com/defnoodles/status/1291091138544168960?s=20
What’s the tea? While Paul was silent for a long while on the subject, he took to Instagram to reiterate that the FBI’s investigation was only in relation to the looting — and also spoke at some length about what some fans feel could be a connection to allegations against Izadi.
“…when I become aware of someone around me who is doing malicious things, they are immediately cut out of my life,” Paul said. “I don’t put up with bulls**t, I don’t surround myself with bad people, and if someone does something bad, they will be removed from my life.”
https://www.instagram.com/p/CDzK7MmAlML/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link
Although the star hasn’t revealed if his comments were, indeed, in reference to Izadi, his statement follows a very serious allegation of sexual assault against the Graffiti Mansion owner just a few days prior — allegations that follow Izadi’s previous guilty pleas of pandering and assault.
Epic Games vs Apple
Who’s involved? Epic Games, best known for creating battle royale sensation Fortnite, and tech giant Apple are in the midst of a heated legal battle — and they’re taking their players along for the ride.
What’s the tea? On August 13, the internet erupted with news that Epic was suing Apple, after the publisher introduced an exclusive V-Bucks payment method for the game’s mobile iteration through the App Store.
This didn’t escape Apple’s notice, who promptly removed the game from the App Store — but Epic was quick to respond.
After filing a lawsuit against the company, Epic even introduced an in-game event decrying the company’s Orwellian policies, taking shots at its classic 1984 commercial (as well as referencing the famous novel, 1984, which details extreme violations of privacy in its fictional universe).
(2/2) Here is what they played on screen in the game today. pic.twitter.com/5gHPrev8yh
— Squatingdog (@thesquatingdog) August 13, 2020
That’s not all; Epic even filed a lawsuit against Google, leading to one of the biggest corporate wars we’ve ever seen — and one of the most ridiculous, considering Epic’s comical response to the subject.
Shroud returns to Twitch
Who’s involved? Michael ‘shroud’ Grzesiek is one of gaming’s biggest personalities, being a former esports pro who’s pivoted to full-time streaming.
What’s the tea? While shroud formerly made his home on Twitch, he shocked the industry by making an exclusive deal with Mixer, hopping to Amazon’s competitor platform in what began a string of similar deals with other broadcasters.
I appreciate the Mixer community and everything I’ve been able to do on the platform. I love you guys and am figuring out my next steps. 💙
— Michael Grzesiek (@shroud) June 22, 2020
However, Mixer’s abrupt shutdown and merge with Facebook Gaming in late June left shroud without a home, leaving fans confused and hopeful as to his next moves.
After reassuring viewers that he was “figuring out next steps,” the streaming giant has once again “come home” to Twitch in a broadcast that rivaled some of the site’s biggest records at 516k viewers on his August 12 comeback show.
I pictured an epic return… not quite like this though
— Michael Grzesiek (@shroud) August 13, 2020
TikTok sues the US government
Who’s involved? Bytedance, the owner of social media sensation TikTok, is set to potentially sue to the United States, after president Trump signed an executive order banning the parent company from making any transactions in America starting on September 20.
What’s the tea? While Bytedance appeared to enter talks to sell its US-based shares, with Microsoft emerging as a potential buyer, the company has since entertained legal action, announcing that it will sue the Trump administration.
As reported by National Public Radio, Bytedance’s lawsuit will argue that the ban against their US-based transactions is “unconstitutional,” as the company wasn’t given an opportunity to respond to the action, likewise arguing that the ban’s intentions are “based on pure speculation and conjecture” in regards to privacy concerns on TikTok.
For now, all users can do is watch and wait as the future of one of social media’s biggest rising platforms hangs in the balance.
This week has certainly been a doozy; if influencers aren’t getting robbed or raided by the FBI, major online platforms are hashing out their differences in legal battles that could shape the future of social media and gaming, as we know it.
What do you think of Epic’s response to Apple removing Fortnite from the App Store? What do you think is the real reason behind Jake Paul’s FBI raid? Let us know on Twitter @DexertoTrending and comment what you think the biggest story of this week was!
Stay tuned to Dexerto for another round of What’s Brewing next week!