Controversial 'manosphere' influencer Ed Matthews was punched in the face during a live stream in Manchester on Saturday, September 26. Footage captures the moment the British internet personality was apparently struck while broadcasting to his followers on Kick.
Altercation caught on camera
Matthews can be seen standing outside and speaking to another man as an encounter becomes heated. The man then suddenly appears to swing at the streamer, striking him and sending the broadcast into chaos. Matthews, who has also competed in influencer boxing, reacts as people around the pair intervene, as reported by NeedToKnow.
It is not clear what sparked the altercation. There is currently no indication that Matthews suffered any serious injuries in the incident.
Background and following
The 24-year-old has amassed a large online following through controversial videos, IRL streams and influencer boxing. His Kick channel currently has more than 230,000 followers.
Matthews reached a wider audience earlier this year when he appeared in Louis Theroux's Netflix documentary Inside the Manosphere. The programme explored controversial male influencers and online communities associated with the so-called manosphere. Matthews appeared alongside figures including HSTikkyTokky, Sneako and Myron Gaines.
Recent jail term and return
It comes just weeks after Matthews was jailed for 12 weeks after failing to comply with a community order imposed following an assault conviction. The original case stemmed from a livestreamed so-called 'predator sting'. Matthews had been convicted of assault by beating and using threatening or abusive words or behaviour likely to cause harassment, alarm or distress after a confrontation with a man during the stream. He was later given a community order which included 150 hours of unpaid work and rehabilitation activity days.
Matthews was sentenced at Basildon Magistrates' Court in August after failing to comply with the order. After being jailed, Matthews vowed in a recorded phone call to return to streaming with renewed intensity once released. His Kick account shows he returned to IRL broadcasts earlier this month, including a stream titled "Fresh out the Jail House".
The latest confrontation comes after fellow manosphere influencer Sneako was also attacked while live streaming earlier this year. Sneako was punched in the face and dragged to the ground during a broadcast in Manhattan in April.
