Actor Michael Rainey Jr. is speaking out after a video surfaced of him apparently being sexually assaulted during a live stream.
The 23-year-old “Power” star wrote in an Instagram Story on Monday that he was “still in shock” and “can't fully comprehend what happened last night.” The incident happened during a stream with Tyril James, who hosts “The Tyril Show” on the live video platform Twitch and has more than 100,000 followers on the platform.
A video circulating on social media shows Rainey standing in a packed room during a stream, with a woman grabbing his groin, to his apparent discomfort. In the footage, the woman's hands are hidden by his two young children.
“This is an unfortunate situation that I can never accept,” the actor said. “I know that if the positions were reversed I would be in serious trouble, so it's not something I take lightly.”
The alleged assault occurred while other attendees were engaged in a conversation, and attendees initially appeared unaware of what had happened.
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He added, “The fact is, sexual assault is never acceptable, regardless of gender or status. We are all human beings and should respect each other. Most importantly, we should always respect ourselves.”
USA TODAY has reached out to Rainey's representatives.
Rainey is known for his role as Tariq St. Patrick in the “Power” series, which includes “Power Book II: Ghosts.” The first half of the series' final season premiered in New York City last week and premiered on Starz on Friday.
He has also appeared in “Orange is the New Black” and the films “The Butler” and “Barbershop: The Next Cut.”
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In a post on his Instagram Story, James apologized to Rainey and said the woman who allegedly groped him was his sister. “My sister was completely wrong and took it too far,” James said. “Her actions were extremely inappropriate and unacceptable. I am truly embarrassed and disgusted by her behaviour.”
James vowed to be “extremely careful in future streams to avoid similar issues” and said he had banned his sister from participating. “I do not tolerate violence of any kind,” he wrote.
'Power' co-creator 50 Cent appears to downplay Michael Rainey Jr.'s assault allegations
Rapper 50 Cent, who co-created the “Power” series, commented on the alleged assault on Instagram this week, appearing to downplay what happened in a since-deleted post.
According to a screenshot shared by Complex, 50 wrote, “Wait, sexual assault 😟 From a male perspective, that's an aggressive approach. LOL he's ok, no charges have been filed. 🤷🏽♂️.”
Commenters were quick to defend Rainey and question the rap star's position: “This is sexual assault. She touched him without his consent. Don't make light of this,” one user wrote.
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In the comments section of Rainey's latest Instagram post, some fans urged the actor to take legal action.
“Sue her because if the positions were reversed you would be in jail,” said one comment with more than 3,000 likes.
Another fan wrote: “Michael I'm so sorry this happened. What she did was wrong. I hate that this happens to men and is taken lightly and treated like a joke.”
James said in an Instagram story that he respected “whatever direction Michael wants to take with this situation.”
If you or someone you know has been sexually assaulted, RAINN's National Sexual Assault Hotline offers free, confidential support to victims and their families 24/7 in English and Spanish at 800-656-HOPE (4673), Hotline.RAINN.org or for the Spanish version at RAINN.org/es.
Contributor: Taijuan Moorman
