Kick streamer Sam Pepper has been banned from the platform after a firework he fired during a live IRL broadcast in India struck a young girl in the eye.
It happened during a chaotic nighttime street scene where multiple people appeared to be firing fireworks at each other. Pepper can be seen on camera holding and discharging a handheld firework toward a group down the street that included children.
Moments later, a man approached Pepper and told him a girl had been hit in the eye. The child was quickly placed on a motorbike and rushed away for medical treatment. The full extent of her injuries has not been independently verified, though some reports claim she may have been blinded.
On stream, Pepper attempted to justify his actions by saying others had been shooting fireworks at him first. “They were firing at us,” he said, characterizing the activity as mutual play. He later expressed willingness to cover medical costs, though the girl had already been taken away by the time he tried to check on her.
The clip spread rapidly across social media platforms. Within hours, tracker account @kick_bans announced that Pepper had been banned from Kick. The platform has not confirmed whether the ban is temporary or permanent.
Pepper is a British internet personality who first gained attention in the early 2010s through YouTube prank videos and an appearance on UK Big Brother. His career has been marked by repeated controversies, including a 2014 video where he grabbed women without consent and a 2015 “killing best friend” prank that sparked widespread condemnation. He later moved into IRL streaming and has been active on Kick.
The dangers everyone ignores
Handheld fireworks like roman candles fire burning projectiles that can reach temperatures hot enough to cause severe burns and eye trauma. Medical organizations consistently warn that eye injuries from fireworks are among the most serious, with many cases involving permanent vision loss.
Aiming fireworks at people violates basic safety guidelines and is prohibited in most jurisdictions. Children are disproportionately affected by firework-related injuries, particularly during periods of increased use around festivals and celebrations.
Kick launched in 2023 as an alternative to Twitch, offering more lenient monetization terms and looser moderation. The platform has community guidelines prohibiting content that results in serious physical harm, though enforcement has been inconsistent.
