Dafran faces backlash for comments on Sinatraa abuse allegations

Michael Gwilliam
Dafran and Sinatraa in OWL

Former Overwatch League pro and Twitch streamer Daniel ‘Dafran’ Francesca is facing backlash for his comments regarding sexual abuse allegations against his former teammate Jay ‘Sinatraa’ Won.

On March 9, ex-girlfriend of Sinatraa, Cleo ‘cle0h’ Hernandez, accused the Sentinels Valorant star of abuse in a document that contained screenshots and even an audio recording.

Dafran posted a tweet in defense of the 2019 Overwatch League MVP. This defense came before both Sentinels and Riot Games each decided to suspend Sinatraa while conducting their own internal investigations.

“We have to wait for Sinatraa’s side of the story,” Francesca wrote. “E-girls can be f***ing scary as a Twitch streamer. They will try to jebait or photoshop evidence and then f*** you. I’m not saying she is one, but she could be. People have been waiting for something to cancel Sinatraa over.”

Dafran, who was a former teammate of Sinatraa’s in the pre-OWL Selfless Gaming days, later suggested that an audio recording provided by the supposed victim could be taken out of context.

“I have choked and slapped women in bed because that’s what they like and maybe I like it a little too, who knows. Imagine if that is taken out of context,” he replied.

Several high-profile streamers and esports figures called out Dafran for his remarks, including former Washington Justice General Manager Analynn ‘bawlynn’ Dang.

“This is not it and the lack of empathy is horrifying,” Dang commented. “Please consider the message you are sending out to people by letting them know you think it’s okay to not believe women and to just group them as egirls.”

World of Warcraft streamer Asmongold also chimed in, saying that while Dafran’s perspective was “noble” it was “stated boorishly.”

“It’s disappointing to see so many people use it as an opportunity to shit on Dafran for bad wording rather than supporting the victim,” he added.

Things got especially heated when QuarterJade and former Overwatch pro Anthony ‘Harbleu’ Ballo got involved.

QuarterJade’s response of “literally shut the f*** up” was met with a “f*** you” by Francesca, while Harbleu accused Dafran of being immature.

“This is the type of dumbass take I’d expect from a 17-18 year old,” the Luminosity streamer blasted. “Keep acting like a 15-year-old the rest of your life, I’m sure it will keep working out for you. Maybe try farming again? Or was that too much work for you.”

Dafran accused Ballo of being “passive-aggressive.”

Sinatraa finally broke his silence a day after the allegations first surfaced. In a brief TwitLonger, he denied accusations of abuse, claiming that he “never assaulted her in any way.”

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About The Author

Michael Gwilliam is a senior writer at Dexerto based in Ontario, Canada. He specializes in Overwatch, Smash, influencers, and Twitch culture. Gwilliam has written for sites across Canada including the Toronto Sun. You can contact him at michael.gwilliam@dexerto.com or on Twitter @TheGwilliam