Valkyrae hits out at fans for “creepy” shipping of her and friends

YouTube streamer and 100 Thieves co-owner Rachell ‘Valkyrae’ Hofstetter has hit out at fans for their “creepy” shipping of her and male friends, explaining that it makes her uncomfortable. 

Valkyrae is one of the most successful streamers on the planet. Not only is she a co-owner and content creator for Nadeshot’s 100 Thieves esports organization, she has also been YouTube’s most-watched female streamer for a number of years in a row.

A May 7 broadcast saw the YouTube star grabbing some mukbang with friends, but the stream was apparently overshadowed by comments viewers made as they watched Hofstetter interact with male acquaintances.

Valkyrae called out the comments shortly after the stream ended, stating that they make her and friends feel “uncomfortable” and they equate to “insanity.”

“Please stop shipping me with friends,” she said on her alt Twitter account. “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.”

• Read More: MrBeast reveals “giga brain” reason why he hasn’t been posting YouTube videos

Not only do the accusations start false rumors, but they also turn toxic if Valkyrae acts in a way not compatible with viewer assumptions.

It’s not the first time Valkyrae has had to call on fans to stop inappropriately shipping her with another member of the gaming community. Back in early 2021, she criticized fans for shipping her with Minecraft creator Dream, calling it “terrible”.

We’ve also seen similar controversies with male streamers, most notably when Ninja stated he would not stream with other women out of respect for his wife. Some stood by the Fortnite star but others suggested his stance was sexist.

Here’s hoping that, moving forwards, fans can just enjoy streamers’ interactions with their friends for what they are.