"People like FaZe, Banks especially, and my friends that I've made over the past couple of years came and they saved me. I don't know what I was gonna do."
Popular Twitch streamer Kylie Cox, otherwise known as Sketch (who made a name for himself playing Madden NFL 24) has confessed to being at the heart of a recent "controversy". I put controversy in quotes there, because the issue at hand isn't really an issue at all—unless you're in the public eye, in which case, certain people might make it one.
On July 7, Cox—who has over 1.2 million followers on Twitch (and more on Instagram and TikTok) had several images and webcam videos from a former OnlyFans account—which is implied by Sketch to have been his own—spread across social media against his will, in which Cox had sex with men.
FaZe Banks, CEO of esports company FaZe Clan and a supporter of Cox, shared several texts with him, showing his unconditional support while adding: "Sketch was my homie yesterday, he’s my homie today, he’ll be my homie tomorrow. You guys are fckin weirdos."
The weirdos Banks is addressing here? Well, the internet at large for one, but also other streamers—some with hundreds of thousands of followers—criticising Cox for "living a lie", and other deeply unpleasant things I won't share here.
Cox went live the next day—the vod of which can be seen below, as shared by riri on YouTube.
Cox begins the video in high spirits, joking: "Elephant in the room… I got a haircut," before confirming that the OnlyFans videos had, in fact, been made with his involvement. "Two years ago I did some stuff—I'm sorry if you've seen some of the stuff. Y'know, I'm a changed person … I did not have sexual relations with that man. I'm just kidding, I did. Possibly. Cat's outta the bag."
Cox then goes on to apologise for his past actions, stating that he was "dealing with some addiction problems, a couple of 'em," and reassuring his audience that he was "dead serious about not doing it again. That was a dark time, [a] rough time."
Cox's past work, he says, is something he'd dreaded coming to light for two entire years: "I've been living under the threat of that coming out … I'll tell you what, weight lifted off my shoulders. God is good, God is good, all the time."
He continues to credit FaZe Banks alongside his parents for helping him out of the dark place said leaks placed him in: "Plan A was to—I will say candidly—was to [probably] call it quits if this ever came out, but some people saved me … If I was alone and I was at my house I probably wouldn't be talking to you right now.
"People like FaZe, Banks especially, and my friends that I've made over the past couple of years came and they saved me. I don't know what I was gonna do."
I'm not familiar with Cox's streams, personally. It might surprise you to find out I'm not a big sports guy, even when it comes to videogames—but this entire thing is heartbreaking. Cox was likely outed against his will. I only say "likely" here because Cox has not, to my knowledge, confirmed or denied his actual sexual orientation (and is under no obligation to), but whether he was financially pressured or coerced into his prior work while remaining heterosexual, the impact on his life remains largely similar.
What Cox implies—that he was struggling with addiction and needed money—is deeply concerning. However, it goes without saying that having done some sex work in the past should not be a big deal, either. Markiplier has an OnlyFans, for goodness' sake. Who cares? To see Cox talk about his past as if he's anything other than a victim here is rough.
If there's a silver lining to this, though, it's that Cox's popularity appears to have temporarily pierced a veil of homophobic behaviour online, as seen in this tweet sharing TikToker Carter Folian's video talking, clumsily, about how the "Sketch situation" has shifted his views on LGBTQ+ individuals to the tune of 30,000 likes. I'll believe it when I see it, given Foilan still misgenders a trans person in the video.
I don't know. To say that this horror show will have a positive impact feels like a pyrrhic victory when it should've been a nothing issue in the first place. This isn't Dr. Disrespect messaging a minor, it's a person in the public eye daring to have a history and feeling like they have to quit their job—or worse—over it.
