Michael Rainey Jr. spoke out on Monday after being groped during an appearance on TyTy James’ Twitch livestream.
The “Power Book II: Ghost” actor was grabbed inappropriately by James’ sister while appearing as a guest on the Twitch series. The 23-year-old released a statement through his rep about the incident, which was filmed and shared by viewers on X (Twitter).
Rainey is “deeply saddened and shocked by the events that occurred” during the livestream over the weekend, his rep said in a statement to People. “He is still processing what happened and doesn’t entirely know how to feel about it,” the rep said.
“This situation is not being taken lightly,” the statement continued. “Sexual harassment and assault are serious and unacceptable acts. Taking advantage of someone’s celebrity in this manner devalues entertainers and underscores the need to respect their humanity. Those who entertain us are human beings just like everyone else.”
In the video, Rainey is shown talking to several others in a group when James’ sister approaches and begins touching the actor without his consent. Rainey looks visibly uncomfortable and attempts to block her. The “Power” star reportedly left the livestream shortly after the incident.
He later addressed the assault in a post on his Instagram stories, per People. Rainey shared that he is “still in shock” and “can’t take it lightly because I know I would be in serious trouble if the roles were reversed.”
“This is an unfortunate situation that I can’t condone in any way,” he wrote on the social media platform. “The fact is, sexual assault is never okay, regardless of gender or status. We’re all human, and we should respect each other. Most importantly, we should respect ourselves.”
James apologized on behalf of his sister, saying in a statement, “After the actions that occurred during my stream last night I would like to sincerely apologize to Michael and his family for what took place.”
“My little sister was completely wrong and out of line. What she did was very inappropriate and unacceptable. I am truly embarrassed and disgusted by her actions,” James wrote on Instagram. “I completely respect whatever direction Michael wants to go in this situation. After watching the clip, I was completely taken aback by what she done [sic]. I will take extreme precautions with future streams to avoid similar issues and have banned her from participating in future streams. I do not condone any type of assault.”
If you or someone you know has been sexually assaulted, please contact the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673) or go to rainn.org.
Updated, 6/13/24: The headline on this story has been updated.