PewDiePie "CALIFORNIA ROLL" (partially found live stream from Swedish YouTuber; 2017)
Screenshot from the infamous bridge incident.
Status: Partially Found
This article has been tagged as Needing work due to its lack of references.
On September 10, 2017, Felix "PewDiePie" Kjellberg, one of the most popular YouTubers globally, streamed himself playing PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds (PUBG) live on his YouTube channel the livestream titled "CALIFORNIA ROLL". During this livestream, a highly controversial incident occurred when PewDiePie used the N-word while expressing frustration towards another player. The incident quickly sparked significant outrage online and in mainstream media, particularly due to PewDiePie's previous controversies earlier that year. The livestream has since been removed or made private, and the full content of this stream has not resurfaced, making it a subject of interest in the lost media community.
Details of the Livestream
The livestream in question featured PewDiePie engaging with his audience while playing PUBG, a popular battle royale game known for its intense, fast-paced action. As is typical in his streams, PewDiePie provided live commentary, interacted with the chat, and made jokes throughout the gameplay. The stream was an ordinary session until the controversial moment occurred.
During the stream, PewDiePie encountered a situation in the game that frustrated him. In a moment of anger, he used the N-word to describe another player, which led to immediate criticism both from viewers and, later, from the broader public once clips of the incident began circulating online. Despite the incident, PewDiePie continued the stream briefly before ending it. The specific sequence of events leading up to and following the controversial moment is largely unknown, as the full livestream is no longer publicly accessible.
Aftermath
The use of the racial slur led to widespread condemnation from various sectors, including fans, fellow YouTubers, media outlets, and other public figures. This incident was particularly damaging to PewDiePie's reputation, as it followed a series of other controversies earlier in 2017, where he was accused of promoting anti-Semitic content. The backlash was swift, with calls for accountability and discussions about the influence and responsibility of content creators with large audiences. He uploaded an apology on September 12, 2017, titled "My Response". The apology was received well by fans and others leading him to still be a YouTube legend and star that still uploads today.
Shortly after the incident, the livestream was removed from PewDiePie's YouTube channel, either by PewDiePie himself or by YouTube. Given the immediate removal, the full content of the livestream has since been considered lost. While the moment where the slur was uttered was widely circulated through clips and media reports, the entire context and remaining content of the livestream are no longer available to the public.
Lost Status
The livestream is currently classified as "partially lost." Although several clips capturing the controversial moment exist across various platforms, the complete livestream, which includes the lead-up and aftermath of the incident, is not accessible. The only parts of the livestream that are widely available are the segments that were clipped and reuploaded by users who captured the incident as it happened. These clips, however, focus almost exclusively on the moment of controversy, leaving the rest of the livestream unaccounted for.
Efforts to find the full stream have been ongoing within the lost media community, with users scouring archives, forums, and YouTube for any complete version that may have been preserved. Despite these efforts, no full version has surfaced, leading to its designation as a piece of lost media.