Power star Michael Rainey Jr. said he’s “still in shock” after he was groped on TyTy James’ Twitch live stream on Sunday.
Rainey Jr., 23, was inappropriately grabbed by James’ sister, Jahgee, during the broadcast, and the video later circulated. Twitter.
Michael took to his Instagram Stories on Monday to share a statement about the incident, writing, “sexual assault is never okay” and adding that he is still “processing” what happened.
Meanwhile, Power co-creator and executive producer 50 Cent, who recently attended the season 4 premiere of Book II: Ghost with Rainey Jr., downplayed the incident on social media and said no charges will be filed.
The rapper wrote in a comment: “Wait, sexual assault (frowning emoji) from a male perspective, this was an aggressive advance.” HA HA HA. It’s okay, no charges are being filed.
Power star Michael Rainey Jr. said he’s “still in shock” after he was groped on TyTy James’ Twitch livestream on Sunday; Seen on June 6 in New York.
Rainey Jr., 23, was inappropriately grabbed by James’ sister, Jahgee, during the broadcast, and the video later circulated on Twitter.
Michael’s full statement read: “By now, everyone has seen the video circulating on the internet. I am still in shock and don’t know how to process what happened last night.
‘This is an unfortunate situation that I do not condone in any way. I cannot take it lightly because I know I would be in serious trouble if the roles were reversed.’
‘The fact is that sexual assault is never okay, regardless of gender or status. We are all human and we must respect each other. The most important thing is that we must always respect ourselves.”
The actor also shared a statement with People, where he stated: ‘Sexual harassment and assault are serious and unacceptable acts. Taking advantage of someone’s celebrity in this way devalues artists and underscores the need to respect their humanity. Those who entertain us are human beings like everyone else.’
In the clip of the incident, James’ sister’s hands are blocked by three boys standing in front of her, but Rainey Jr. appears visibly uncomfortable as she crouches down and he attempts to block her hand.
TyTy James, a Twitch streamer who hosts his own channel, Tylilshow, ultimately ended up kicking his sister out of the room after she made a suggestive comment about a banana.
James later shared that Michael left after about 20 minutes.
James also released a statement on his Instagram, apologizing to Michael and saying his sister was “out of line.”
“After the actions that occurred during my broadcast last night, I would like to sincerely apologize to Michael and his family for what happened,” she wrote, adding, “My little sister was completely wrong and out of line.” What she did was very inappropriate and unacceptable.”
In the clip, James’ sister’s hands are blocked by three boys standing in front of her, but Rainey Jr. appears visibly uncomfortable as she crouches down and he tries to block her hand.
Michael took to his Instagram Stories on Monday to share a statement about the incident, writing, “sexual assault is never okay” and that he is still “processing” what happened.
Meanwhile, Power co-creator and executive producer 50 Cent downplayed the incident on social media and said no charges will be filed; Both seen on June 6 in New York.
The rapper wrote in a comment: “Wait, sexual assault (frowning emoji) from a male perspective, this was an aggressive advance.” HA HA HA. It’s okay, no charges are being filed.
TyTy James (pictured), a Twitch streamer who hosts his own channel, Tylilshow, also issued a statement on his Instagram, apologizing to Michael.
‘My little sister was completely wrong and out of line. “What she did was very inappropriate and unacceptable,” she wrote, adding, “I completely respect any direction Michael wants to take in this situation.”
‘I am truly embarrassed and disgusted by his actions. “I completely respect whatever direction Michael wants to take in this situation.”
‘After watching the clip, I was completely taken aback by what he did. I will take extreme precautions with future broadcasts to avoid similar problems and will prohibit you from participating in future broadcasts.
He ended his statement by writing: “I do not condone any type of aggression.”
Rainey Jr. plays Tariq St. Patrick in both the original Power series and its sequel Power Book II: Ghost. Tariq is the son of the show’s main character, James ‘Ghost’ St. Patrick, played by Omari Hardwick.
The actor was most recently photographed at the Power Book II: Ghost season 4 premiere and 10th anniversary in New York City, with 50 Cent and Mary J. Blige.
50 Cent executive produced and played Kanan Stark on the original Power series, which ran for six seasons from 2014 to 2020.
The show became a hit, earning critical acclaim as well as multiple awards, including Outstanding Drama Series at the 50th NAACP Image Awards.
The premise followed, Ghost (Hardwick), a wealthy New York nightclub owner who has everything; Dream big, cater to the city’s elite and live a double life as a drug dealer,’ according to an IMDB synopsis.
Rainey Jr. plays Tariq St. Patrick in both the original Power series and its sequel Power Book II: Ghost. Tariq is the son of the show’s main character, James ‘Ghost’ St. Patrick; Michael photographed with 50 Cent in a still image
Power Book II: Ghost, which first aired in 2020, is a sequel to the original series that focuses on Tariq (Rainey Jr.)
Power Book III: Raising Kanan, which aired its first season in 2021, is a prequel to the entire Power series. It delves into Kanan’s early life.
Power Book IV: Force, which aired in 2022, is a spin-off that focuses on Tommy Egan, Ghost’s best friend, who is trying to rebuild his life in Chicago after the events of Power.
It was announced in March that the Power franchise is currently developing a fourth spin-off series that is set to be a prequel to the show’s characters of Ghost and Tommy, originally played by Hardwick and Joseph Sikora.