Darren Jason Watkins Jr., recognized online as IShowSpeed or simply Speed, is an American content creator, specializing in online streaming and YouTube. He’s carved a career path for himself through his dynamic variety livestreams, showcasing his interest in popular video games such as FIFA, Fortnite, and Roblox.
Initiating his YouTube journey in 2017 Watkins has been consistent in delivering engaging gaming content to his audience. His popularity notably grew from 2021 to 2022, especially with the widespread sharing of clips from his live streams across various social media platforms. In recognition of his impactful contributions, he earned the title of Breakout Streamer of the Year at the esteemed 12th Streamy Awards in 2022.
Early, personal life, education and family
Darren was born on 21 January 2005, in Cincinnati, Ohio. Darren’s family includes a younger sister who joins his livestreams to wish him goodnight, and a younger brother named Dian. He lives with his mom, who sometimes playfully interrupts his livestreams, advising him to lower his volume or end the streams. Darren graduated from Lisbon Digital Learning School in Portugal in June 2023.
In terms of relationships, Darren was reported to be in a relationship with Ermony Renee, known as Dream, though it’s unclear if they are still together. There are also rumors about a potential connection with TikTok star and singer Ava Barbie.
Apart from his personal life, Darren was a former player on Purcell Marian High School’s basketball and football teams. On 7 October 2023, he shared a video recorded for his future self, offering insights into his thoughts and goals at that time.
On 28 July 2023, Darren shared with his followers the news of a sinus infection that led to intense cluster headaches. This health issue required an urgent hospital visit, and during this period, he posted a video in which he appeared with two swollen eyes, impairing his vision. The video, entitled “idk man ,” informed his fans about his hospitalization in Tokyo due to the severity of his condition.
Returning on August 15, Darren hosted a comeback stream and disclosed that he’d endured a challenging period, even stating that he “almost died from his conditions” due to the intense pain. Fortunately, he revealed that he’d made a complete recovery since then.
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Career and controversies
Darren Watkins initiated his streaming career in 2019, but it was in 2021 that he gained significant recognition. His rise to prominence was propelled by his fanbase, who shared clips on TikTok showcasing his intense and sometimes volatile interactions during live streams, particularly directed towards games, players, and even his camera. These moments gained widespread popularity, and evolved into internet memes.
However, Watkins’ expressive outbursts led to repercussions, resulting in bans from both Twitch and the video game Valorant. Despite these challenges, his YouTube channel garnered attention, with Kotaku describing him as “one of the biggest and fastest-rising streamers” on the platform.
A pivotal point in Watkins’ career was marked by his association with the game Talking Ben the Dog, playing a major role in revitalizing the mobile app’s popularity, turning it into the best-selling game on the App Store more than a decade after its initial release. This contribution significantly contributed to his growth and recognition within the online streaming community.
In December 2021, Watkins participated in an “e-dating” live on Twitch event, organized by Adin Ross. During the show, an interaction unfolded between Watkins and fellow participant Ash Kash, resulting in what many perceived as a rape threat. Watkins faced consequences swiftly, becoming the initial contestant to be eliminated. Shortly after the conclusion of the game, he re-entered the Discord call and engaged in explicit and harassing behavior towards Kash, repeatedly using offensive language.
As a consequence of his actions, Watkins was promptly removed from the call, and Adin Ross offered an apology to Kash on behalf of Watkins’ inappropriate conduct. Subsequently, Twitch imposed a ban on Watkins, with his suspension being attributed to “sexual coercion or intimidation,” as mentioned in his own Twitter post, marking a significant and controversial moment in Watkins’ online presence.
He again faces a strike on YouTube after posting a Minecraft character video performing a sexual act, apparently accidently and deleted afterwards. After that he considered not returning to YouTube.
The arrest
On 8 August 2022, Darren faced an arrest after becoming a victim of a swatting incident, which stemmed from a staged prank call with the Lisbon Police Department. The circumstances surrounding the event led to speculation, with some suspecting that either certain fans orchestrated the SWAT team’s arrival at his house or that these fans encouraged him to prank call the police station; the orchestrator of the prank remains unclear. During the arrest, Darren quickly switched the livestream to his phone, where a friend captured footage of him being detained until one of the police officers instructed his friend to stop filming.
This incident left both Darren’s viewers and those unfamiliar with his content perplexed. Individuals, including YouTubers like Jadyn, expressed sentiments that Darren deserved a more responsible fanbase, and should refrain from complying with every request from his community. There were also unverified reports that he set his PS4 on fire during a live stream,. However, Darren later claimed that Adin Ross had paid for his bail from jail, and he resumed streaming the following day.
FIFA World Cup 2022
Throughout November and December 2022, Watkins embarked on a football journey, visiting various stadia in an attempt to witness Cristiano Ronaldo play live. His travels took him to iconic venues like Old Trafford and Craven Cottage, along with several stadia in Qatar. Unfortunately, Ronaldo was benched in several of the games Watkins attended, up until Portugal’s loss to Morocco. This reflected Watkins’ deep admiration for the football legend.
However, in December 2022, Watkins found himself in the midst of controversy during the Round of 16 match between Portugal and Switzerland in the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar – his behavior toward a Chinese spectator was perceived by many as racist. In a live stream, Watkins approached a man wearing an Argentina jersey, questioning him despite the man’s admission that he didn’t speak English. This led to Watkins repeatedly uttering “Konnichiwa,” a Japanese greeting, and making sounds resembling Cantonese and Mandarin Chinese. Following the circulation of a clip from the stream, he uploaded an apology video on his Twitter account, addressing the incident.
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Musical career
Darren Watkins ventured into the music scene in 2021 by releasing his debut single, “Dooty Booty,” on his YouTube channel; the track gained rapid popularity and on other social media platforms such as TikTok. Building on this momentum, he dropped another single in November 2021 entitled “Shake”, sampling elements from both “Ready and Not” by Fugees and “Hit The Road Jack” by Ray Charles. The accompanying music video for “Shake” amassed over 160 million views on YouTube, solidifying Watkins’ presence in the music realm.
In June 2022, Watkins continued his musical journey with the release of “Ronaldo (Sewey),” a track inspired by his newfound admiration for Cristiano. Demonstrating versatility in his musical expression, he explored themes beyond his gaming content.
Further expanding his musical portfolio, Watkins released the single “World Cup” in November 2022 under Warner Records, commemorating the 2022 FIFA World Cup.
Net worth and salary
IShowSpeed reportedly has a net worth of $12 million, as of early 2024. His rise to fame is attributed to engaging live streams, contributing to a substantial following on various social media platforms. Notably, he’s diversified his investments by acquiring luxury assets, including Non-Fungible Tokens (NFTs), watches, and cars.Top of Form
