Monrovia — American international streamer IShowspeed’s recent visit to Liberia brought excitement to fans across the country, but disappointment and frustration to several Liberian social media influencers who say they were mishandled by security guards assigned to protect the streamer.
By J.H Webster Clayeh, [email protected]
When it was announced that the American social media personality would be visiting Liberia, many local influencers and content creators took to their social media platforms, producing promotional content aimed at making the visit a success.
Some influencers even travelled from overseas to Liberia and engaged event organizers in hopes of participating in the daylong activities.
However, those expectations reportedly turned chaotic when security guards protecting the streamer allegedly began mishandling Liberian influencers who attempted to interact with IShowspeed on live cameras.
Before the visit, Bugies, a Liberian social media influencer based in the People’s Republic of China, released a video publicly challenging IShowspeed to a race.
Bugies said: “Ishowspeed, this is an official call-up to you. Liberia and the USA will go in a race, and if you lose this race, you will have to make a song for Liberia, and if you win this race, you script my head to bowhead.”
In another video, Bugies complained that organizers and Ishowspeed tour guard Mariama Tuzee Toure downplayed his proposed race challenge at the PHP Park in Monrovia.
The streamer’s convoy reportedly passed through the park without stopping, leaving Bugies stranded and confused.
Determined to still meet the streamer, Bugies rushed to the Exclusive Supermarket at Vomoma Junction, where IShowspeed made his next stop.
While passing through the cheering crowd, Bugies was allegedly stopped by security personnel.
According to videos circulating on social media, one of the American streamer’s security guards was seen pushing and holding Bugies by his neck before throwing him into the crowd.
Explaining the incident in tears, Bugies said: “I stayed in the park for more than two hours, and then they came and passed just like that. So if it was not settling, why did she make me be… why did she leave me out and give other people the opportunity? I worked myself out for this thing; I was not begging anyone.”
Another influencer, A Mill Iby, attempted to engage IShowspeed with a bag race, a stunt the streamer had reportedly done in other countries. Carrying two empty rice bags, A Mill Iby repeatedly called on the streamer to participate. Security guards, however, prevented A Mill Iby from getting close. The bags remained with the influencer until the event concluded.
Afterward, A. Mill Iby took to social media to explain his ordeal, claiming the streamer had been monitoring his posts. According to him, Ishowspeed had been monitoring my post from the day he started posting about the bag race.
“So, what made Ishowspeed avoid me is that when I went to the Royal Grand Hotel, where Ishowspeed was staying. I requested that the bouncers for me to take pictures with me. After taking pictures with them, I posted them, but I never knew it was against protocol.
At that time, Ishowspeed was coming down to get into his hotel, and he spotted the picture I posted with the bouncers, and he screenshotted the picture, sent it to the girl, and the girl sent it in the chatroom. Everyone came on me, and right there Everything got right on me. Even his personal adviser, that girl show me dirt,’ he continued:
“I even took the picture down, but imagine they went to Providence Island, everybody entering that girl says I should not enter.”
A Classic, another Liberian influencer, planned to interview IShowspeed during the visit. However, a video showed security guards forcefully preventing him from conducting the interview.
Despite the setback, A Classic later expressed gratitude for appearing in a video with the international streamer.
He said, “Everything that happened is part of life, we went there to showcase what we got and what we are capable of doing, but everything went on the opposite side.”
He added: “For me, getting on Ishowspeed main camera was a whole game-changer for me. Being on the international scene with a top-notch, the biggest streamer in the world, even though I never had a face-to-face conversation with him, was a good one.”
Despite the disappointment, several individuals encouraged the affected influencers to remain focused and persistent in pursuing their dreams. Maxwell Gonkardoe posted a video encouraging the influencers, reminding them that Ishowspeed once struggled for attention and recognition himself.
Gonkardoe said: “The first time Ishowspeed met his idol Christiano Ronaldo, after he struggled. He shared tears because he has been striving to meet his idol. If you watch that video, you will know that a human being is above another human being.”
He added, “All of the things that our boys were doing to interact with that guy, they are not the first to do so. They should not give up on their dreams.”
