TwitchCon 2025, held October 17-19 in San Diego, is designed to be a celebration of community, content creation, creativity, and connection. But for popular streamer and cosplayer Emiru, the event turned into a startling experience that has sparked widespread upset and renewed scrutiny of Twitch’s security protocols.
On October 17, during a scheduled meet-and-greet at the San Diego Convention Center, Emiru, whose real name is Emily Schunk, was assaulted by an attendee who bypassed multiple security barriers. The man grabbed her face and apparently attempted to kiss her without consent, as captured in video clips that quickly circulated across social media platforms. Emiru’s security team intervened, escorting her offstage while the assailant was removed from the area.
Emiru later posted on X (formerly Twitter), expressing her shock and disappointment:
hello everyone, I am okay and thank you for all of the kind messages, sorry I cannot respond to them all 🩷
Yesterday, the man who assaulted me was allowed to cross multiple barriers at twitchcon and even in front of another creators meet and greet to grab me and my face and try…
— emi ⭐️ (@emiru) October 18, 2025
Twitch responded with a statement calling the behavior on social media:
The safety and security of all those attending TwitchCon is our highest priority. The behavior displayed by the individual involved in the incident yesterday involving a high profile streamer was completely unacceptable and deeply upsetting.
In line with existing TwitchCon…
— Twitch (@Twitch) October 18, 2025
However, many fans and fellow creators felt the response was inadequate (including reader-added context noting Emiru’s statement). The hashtag #ProtectStreamers began trending, with users demanding accountability and calling for better safety measures at future events.
One user, @BaconCrumbz, tweeted: “So some freak just assaulted Emiru at @TwitchCon. This behavior is disgusting. I’m amazed she still came back to finish the Meet and Greet line. She deserves the utmost respect”. Emiru’s decision to return and complete her session despite the trauma was seen as a testament to her resilience and dedication to her fans.
The incident has reignited long-standing concerns about streamer safety at conventions, especially during public meet-and-greets. For example, in 2019, two streamers attending off-site TwitchCon-related events said they dealt with spiked drinks that had sent one of them to the hospital. But, in 2024, another round of allegations around safety issues emerged again at another VIP TwitchCon-associated party, which this video by Mujin dug into.
As Emiru’s most recent experience shows, visibility and fame can come with serious risks, and platforms with events, like Twitch, as well as event sponsors, will need to take action to make sure that incidents like what happened with Emiru are much less likely to happen again.
