Popular streamer and cosplayer Emiru was allegedly assaulted while doing a meet-and-greet at TwitchCon, an incident which quickly got around the creator grapevine, alongside renewed hand-wringing about live fan events.
A video clip shared on X shows a man getting close to the creator, grabbing her, and trying to kiss her, after which she pushed the person away and security stepped in. Attendees said she eventually came back to complete the line and drew applause for keeping her cool in the face of raw anger.
Emiru, who has nearly two million followers on Twitch through cosplay, variety streaming, and collaborations, is among the most recognizable faces at the convention. Within hours, the clip racked up hundreds of thousands of views, stoking a larger debate about whether existing safety measures for creators — particularly women — are equipped to handle the realities of parasocial fandom and crowded convention floors.
What Went Down At The Meet And Greet
In the widely circulated video, a convention-goer cuts in line and puts his hands on Emiru during a photo opportunity, moving in for what appears to be a kiss. She backs away and staff are called immediately. Security grabs the person and leads them away as the crowd reacts. Eyewitness reports described the incident as extremely unsettling and noted the streamer getting on with things after a short break.
Creator meet-and-greets are intended to be swift, upbeat fan-to-fan encounters, but they also manage to pack an unprecedented amount of human contact into an incredibly small footprint. The combination of tight spaces, high emotions, and the proximity of celebrities can create conditions that make it all too easy for boundaries to be violated if protocols and staffing levels are not airtight.
Twitch Response and Security Measures After Incident
A Twitch representative said the attendee’s conduct was “unacceptable,” and that the person in question had been swiftly ejected from the venue. The company also stated that the individual in question has been indefinitely suspended from using Twitch, both online and offline, and that it has a zero-tolerance policy when it comes to harassment.
Large conventions generally build security in layers with bag checks, credential control, stanchioned queues, and mobile response teams. Twitch has said its policies and procedures have evolved over the last year or so, and it publicly pledged to invest in improved on-site reporting tools and enforcement. However, creators have also expressed ongoing concerns: earlier this year, several high-profile streamers, including Valkyrae and QTCinderella, declined to attend the event due to safety fears, in part because of the unique risks female streamers are exposed to in public spaces.
The wider ecosystem has also felt pressure. In a previous year, creators from rival platform Kick came under fire for harassing Twitch streamers on-site — an indication that platform animosity can spill off the internet and complicate security planning.
A Perennial Risk for Women in the Streaming World
Emiru’s experience reflects a larger trend identified by researchers. According to the Anti-Defamation League’s 2023 Online Hate and Harassment report, a majority of U.S. adults have been subjected to sexual harassment online, with women and LGBTQ+ people bearing a disproportionate share of such abuse and stalking. Women and younger people active in digital communities experience far more serious harassment, including physical threats, according to the Pew Research Center.
The meet-and-greet incident is the latest in a series of disturbing incidents for Emiru. Earlier this year, while broadcasting outdoors with other content creators, a man reportedly made violent threats; the incident was covered by international media, including the BBC, and became part of a larger conversation about safety in IRL streaming.
Security experts say parasocial dynamics — when fans experience a one-way intimacy with creators — can lead to blurred lines. Conventions increasingly have best practices that involve well-marked buffer zones, trained “handlers” at every point of contact, and proactive ejection policies for anyone who violates the guidelines. VidCon and other large creator conventions have employed timed meet-and-greet lotteries and structured access points to limit chaotic crowd surges and enhance line-of-sight for staff.
What Convention Organizers Can Do Right Now for Safety
Event specialists with organizations like the Event Safety Alliance and International Association of Venue Managers support a model of layered risk management: improved queue design, visible but approachable security, rapid incident triage, and clear consent education for attendees. For “creator-focused” shows, that can also mean more staff per meet-and-greet, additional barriers to define what constitutes a safe reach, and quick lines of communication so talent can signal for assistance without shutting down the entire floor.
Clear consequences matter, too. Publicizing bans and enforcement actions makes it less likely that copycats will take their cue from those who have been banned, and assures creators that lines are not crossed. Reliable follow-up post-incident — wellness checks, debriefs, and layout adjustments — goes a long way to ensure that no situation repeats itself.
The Emiru scandal should serve as a powerful reminder that fandom is never an excuse for sacrificing consent. As conventions get larger and creators’ visibility rises, safety is not simply an operational checkbox but a foundational element that enables genuine and positive interactions to thrive. The sooner organizers, platforms, and communities converge on that reality, the safer such spaces will be for all.
