Why Michael Rainey Jr.'s Alleged Sexual Assault Sparked Controversy

This story includes allegations of sexual violence. If you or someone you know has been sexually assaulted, call National Sexual Assault Hotline has 1-800-656-4673.

The alleged sexual assault of “Power” star Michael Rainey Jr. during a live stream is resurfacing debates over gender power dynamics in sexual assault.

The 23-year-old appeared on “The Tylil Show” live stream on Twitch on Sunday, June 9. During the broadcast, a woman, who was later identified by host Tylil James as his sister, appeared to abruptly enter the frame and place her hand. on Rainey's crotch for several seconds in a room in the presence of James, children and others, clips from the stream circulating online show. Rainey appeared to tighten her posture, then moved her hand away, according to the clips. The actor reportedly left the stream shortly after the incident.

TODAY.com has not independently verified the video and did not hear back from the woman identified as James' sister at the time of publication.

Rainey – who is currently leading the fourth and final season of Starz's hit crime series “Power” – and James both responded to the incident on their social media platforms, with Rainey writing a message on her Instagram Story on the 10th. June, saying he was “still in shock” and didn't “completely know how to deal with what happened.”

“The fact is that sexual assault is never acceptable, regardless of gender or status,” he added.

James, who reacted to the incident while streaming, seemingly downplayed the moment, attributing his sister's behavior to her inexperience with hanging out with celebrities.

“I'm just going to check on her, tell her you don't have to be a part of this,” he said of how he planned to handle the incident. “We are all the same. We are all human.

The incident, along with Rainey and James' comments about it, sparked an online discussion about male sexual assault, with some pointing out that Rainey's experience with unwanted touching is not a phenomenon rare in men and that if the roles were reversed, the reaction would not have occurred. probably caused such a heated debate.

“You would all be surprised how often this happens to men. It’s so normalized in society that most don’t even see a problem with it,” one person wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter.

“It is absolutely clear that this is sexual assault and just like men, women also have no right to put their hands on it inappropriately,” wrote one other.

Here's what you need to know about the incident involving Michael Rainey Jr. and the controversy it sparked.

What happened to Michael Rainey Jr. during the live broadcast of 'The Tylil Show'?

In the nearly two-minute video, which has been viewed more than 36 million times at the time of posting, Rainey contorts her face after James' sister approaches and appears to place her hand on his crotch.

During the incident, James is heard explaining to some children how much time they have left before they have to leave the room.

“You have five minutes maximum, then you have to go out. OK?” he said.

In the middle of James' conversation with the children, Rainey appears to make eye contact with someone off-camera who then walks over and puts his arm around Rainey while he whispers in the actor's ear. Rainey then immediately bursts out laughing.

“What happened?” » James asks after seeing the two cuddling.

Rainey continues to laugh as the person responds, “We'll tell you later, bro. We'll tell you later, bro. We can't tell you on stream.”

The video then shows James sitting alone in a room where he then addresses the incident live without specifically detailing what happened.

What did Tylil James say about Michael Rainey Jr.'s alleged sexual assault?

Following the incident with Michael Rainey Jr., James said he tried to “ignore” what happened, but then felt compelled to speak out after receiving “texts” on this subject.

“The energy changed and n—— got up and left,” he said, before noting that the event upset him because “When people come, it’s your cradle. It’s about hospitality.”

He then noted that his sister wasn't often surrounded by celebrities.

“She’s never seen anyone of that caliber, so she started — you know what I’m saying,” he said. “And she's my sister so I'm not going to say anything bad about her.” I'm just going to check on her, tell her you don't have to participate in this.

James also said he won't filter who is in the room when celebrities join him on his streams.

“People tell me you have to be careful of the people around you when these kinds of people come,” he said. “Why should I? We are all equal. We have a mutual agreement and it's a matter of respect. S… has driven me completely crazy, brother. Nothing has ever made me more angry as that, my brother.”

Then, on June 10, James appeared to walk back his defense of his sister in an apologetic statement he posted on X.

“After the actions that occurred during my stream last night, I would like to sincerely apologize to Michael and his family for what happened,” James said. “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. I completely respect the direction Michael wants to take this situation.”

James added that he “will take extreme precautions with future streams to avoid similar situations” and he banned his little sister from participating in the future.

“I do not tolerate any type of aggression,” he added.

James, nor the woman who was identified as his sister, did not immediately respond to TODAY.com's request for comment.

What did Michael Rainey Jr. say about his alleged assault?

During the June 9 livestream, Michael Rainey Jr. did not appear to directly address the alleged assault when it occurred.

But, in an Instagram story on June 10, he released a statement about the incident.

“At this point, everyone has seen the video circulating online,” his statement read. “I'm still in shock and don't really know how to deal with what happened last night. It's an unfortunate situation that I'm not condoning in any way.”

He continued: “I can't take this lightly because I know I would be in serious trouble if the roles were reversed. The fact is that sexual assault is never acceptable, regardless of our gender or our status. We are all human, and we must respect each other. Most importantly, we must always respect ourselves.

Rainey did not immediately respond to TODAY.com's request for comment.

What was the reaction to Michael Rainey Jr.'s alleged sexual assault and why did it cause controversy?

After Rainey's incident went viral, some social media users downplayed it online, with some wondering if the actor was exacerbating the experience by calling it sexual assault.

“Not that bad,” someone wrote in response to James' apology tweet.

“I'm amazed at the situation I'm in if I don't want anyone to touch me I immediately push them away…why did my brother stay there for so long?” one wrote, dismissing apparently the fault is on Rainey.

“It's Twitter, the brothers forgot in a week and have a new topic to talk about to show people they are a good person or going viral is good,” another user wrote on x.

“Power” executive producer Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson also seemed to have similar feelings, writing in a now-deleted Instagram post seen by TODAY.com: “Wait, sexual assault from a male perspective , it was an aggressive move, he is fine, no charges .

Although online reactions to Rainey's alleged assault have been mixed, many have come out in support of the actor, agreeing that “if the roles had been reversed” there would have been “outrage” following the incident and a response to it.

“Oh my god!!! The man felt uncomfortable around this predator. Flip the script and it's the end of his career,” said one person on X.

“Keep that same energy if it was a man holding onto your sister,” someone wrote in part about X.

“Reverse the roles and think if a man had done this to a female celebrity there would have been global outrage,” shared another.

It is not uncommon for men to be victims of sexual assault, with more than 27% of men reporting they have been “sexually victimized at some point in their lives,” compared to 32% of women, according to a journal article in 2023 in Behavioral Sciences. The study estimates that 90% or more of “all male sexual violations go unreported.”

According to the study, incidents go unreported for reasons including “the belief among the public and medical professionals that men cannot be raped.” The report also reveals that misconceptions include that “men are too strong to be forced into unwanted sex” and that “women cannot be the aggressors.”

Riche Richardson, a professor of Africana studies at Cornell University who works in the women's, gender and sexuality studies program, tells TODAY.com that “personal boundaries are important and are essential to respect, no matter what.” either gender or sexuality, including masculinity.”

“It is essential to recognize various forms of sexual violence against men, including Black men, because they also contribute to maintaining and perpetuating power relations that are important not to perpetuate, internalize or enact, intentionally or not,” she explains.

Since the incident, Rainey's supporters have called for James' sister to apologize and be held accountable.

“It's your sister who needs to apologize,” someone on X responded to James' apologetic statement.

“I really think he should press charges. I want her in jail for what she did. This is very disgusting,” one person tweeted.

Rainey has not addressed the incident since his initial statement, nor has he indicated that he plans to report it to police.