The allegations were spear-headed by Twitch streamer ZombiUnicorn. Alongside this, several other women came out to call the comedian, streamer, and actor sexist, with a more recent clip of Leach quickly making the rounds. In it, he talks down to someone he claims is a troll in chat, making several sexist remarks before having them banned from the channel. While Leach may have been trying to avoid “toxicity in his community,” his comments were viewed by many as inexcusable due to their sexist undertones and the harsh language within them.
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Since then, Activision has cut ties with Leach, suggesting that he will not be returning as Ghost in future Call of Duty: Modern Warfare games. Facebook Gaming has also removed Leach from its platform, ending their partnership. Following the allegations of sexism and the distancing of his former employers, Leach has issued a proper statement on Twitter about the controversy. While it is a fairly lengthy read, the main takeaway is that it is more of an apology than anything else.
Early in the post, the former actor for Ghost states that “passion can be a double-edged sword,” stating that he “reacted passionately” in a scenario where he felt “attacked.” He admits that this passionate reaction has caused him to lose control in a few moments, and that the “rancor” seen in those moments was “wrong.” He adds that he is “deeply sorry but also ashamed” for the comments, as they go against the positive and inclusive nature of his Twitch stream. In the next paragraph, he calls his language “vitriolic” and his actions “stupid.”
While Leach does not mention ZombiUnicorn or any of the other accusers by name, he does apologize to the “individuals” that may have been “negatively impacted” by his outbursts. He also apologizes to his business partners, which likely includes Activision and Facebook Gaming. Leach has also lost several sponsors, so he could be referring to them as well in this statement. However, there are no specifics, with the apology covering everything tied to the issue as opposed to a specific comment. Lastly, Leach thanks the fans that have stuck by him through this controversy, while also promising that he will continue to hold himself “accountable” for what he said.
As of now, it remains to be seen how Leach’s apology will be received, or how his firing will impact Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2. Regardless, hopefully the situation serves as a sign that sexism will no longer be tolerated in the video game industry.
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare is available now on PC, PS4, and Xbox One.
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