The man who found viral fame amid Hurricane Milton is facing intense backlash after uttering an egregious racial slur while chatting with his fans.
Joseph Malinowski, 54, nicknamed Lieutenant Dan after the famous ‘Forrest Gump’ character, has drawn fierce scrutiny from his fan base after he very casually dropped the N-word while live streaming on Kick .com, a popular streaming platform.
In the clip, which has since circulated on several social platforms, the one-legged sailor from Florida is seen casually chatting with his followers when he used the slur, prompting an immediate reaction.
Kick.com ended Lt. Dan’s broadcast as soon as the word was said, according to viewers who were tuned in at the time.
Joseph Malinowski, 54, nicknamed Lieutenant Dan after the famous ‘Forrest Gump’ character, has drawn fierce scrutiny from his fan base after he very casually dropped the N-word while live streaming on Kick. com.
Malinowski said that he had lost a leg in a car accident when he was only 16 years old.
If you want to fall into my favor again, it will take time and a lot of work. It’s going to be difficult. Because once I interrupt you, you’re done, n****… Sorry, okay, that’s it, you’re done,’ Malinowski said.
Since then, followers of the viral star have shared their criticism of the once-adored “hurricane hero” on social media.
Viewers were quick to criticize the social media star’s casual use of the word.
‘Lieutenant. “I just got the chance and I’m already trying to get banned,” one person said.
“We made the wrong guy famous,” added another.
Malinowski got his first taste of fame when University of Tampa student Terrence Concannon began recording viral TikTok videos of him as the storm approached.
Concannon hosted an online fundraiser for the one-legged sailor, which received more than $46,000 in donations.
‘Lieutenant Dan’ has had more than 70 contacts with police in Florida and North Carolina since 2012, according to public records seen by DailyMail.com
The one-legged Florida sailor was spotted Thursday after surviving the storm on his boat.
Streamer Adin Ross also announced that he would buy Malinowski a new boat, an offer he apparently waived once the sailor’s long criminal history came to light.
The video comes amid rising tensions over Malinowski’s GoFundMe fundraiser as the 54-year-old’s daughter criticized his new fans who have drawn attention to her father, saying his viral fame will lead him to an early grave.
On Friday, Ashley Ann Malinowski uploaded a TikTok condemning the influencers who turned her father into an internet celebrity.
Posting on her account, Ashley Ann said through tears that her father would “probably end up dead” because of all the attention.
“Lieutenant Dan was fine without all that money,” the daughter began.
“All you TikTok… famous people blowing it up… you’ll be dead before you can enjoy that ship.”
Ashley Ann then said that her father was “high” in all of the videos, which made her wonder “is it just marijuana?”
He explained that he has had to “keep an eye on (his father) for ten years, trying to make sure he’s alive.”
“Now he’s going to have all this and probably end up dead because of it,” he said.
He said he was trying not to put too much “energy” into the situation, clarifying that he just wanted to make sure his father was alive.
But then, when he took aim at his father’s alleged enablers, he began to cry.
Malinowski’s daughter, Ashley Ann Malinowski, said through tears that her father might “end up dead” because of all the attention and money his fans send him.
The potentially tarnishing video comes amid rising tensions over Malinowski’s GoFundMe fundraiser as the 54-year-old’s daughter criticized his new fans who have drawn attention to her father, saying his viral fame made him will lead to an early grave.
‘You’re all going to put him in the grave for making him famous and giving him this money and offering him this shit.
‘You guys don’t even know what the fuck you’re doing. You don’t know that man. You don’t know him at all.
With tears in her eyes, Ashley Ann accused the influencers of not really caring about her father’s well-being.
‘No one really cares about him either. Nobody really cares. You’re all just using him to make him famous, to make yourself more famous, to look good.’
This week, ‘Lieutenant Dan’ launched his own TikTok account, where he chronicled his survival on his sailboat during Milton. It currently has more than 270,000 followers.
