Twitch streamer Karina ‘Karupups’ Martsinkevich has been temporarily banned for using blackface as part of an Apex Legends Lifeline cosplay.
Kotaku reports that Karupups was streaming in Twitch’s Just Chatting section, preparing her Lifeline cosplay, and had her stream pulled at the point she began applying dark foundation to her face.
Karupups took to YouTube to confirm she had been banned from Twitch for a period of 30 days due to the fact she was “engaging in hateful conduct against a person or group of people,” She maintains she, “just wanted to be similar to Lifeline from Apex,” adding, “it wasn’t meant to have [sic] a joke of anyone. It was just a cosplay, guys, for my favourite legend from a computer game.”
The streamer did apologise if she’d hurt anyone with the cosplay, saying she didn’t mean it “to be painful for anyone.”
Blackface has been used since the 1800s, predominantly by caucasians looking to resemble persons of colour; at times, blackface can be used to exaggerate racist stereotypes. Despite the negative connotations of using blackface, Karupups took to the social media app VK and reposted an image of herself in makeup.
“Thank you for the enormous support,” she said. “Thank you for not leaving me alone in such a situation. So, guys and girls, what do you think about Cosplay?”
Apex Legends is available now on Windows PC, Xbox One and PS4.
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