Revisiting IShowSpeed's 2023: Flashing incident, meeting Cristiano Ronaldo, hospitalization in Tokyo, controversies, and more

Darren Watkins Jr., popularly known as "IShowSpeed," became one of the most-watched YouTube streamers of 2023. His sensational, enigmatic, and energy-filled broadcasts have earned him over 20 million subscribers on his primary YouTube channel. Not only that, but the Ohio native's several-year-long indefinite suspension on Twitch was lifted.

IShowSpeed went viral several times in 2023, from accidentally flashing his privates in front of thousands of viewers to participating in the Sidemen Charity Match for the second time in a row. This was also the year when Darren was hospitalized in Tokyo for several days due to "deadly headaches."

This article will look back at some of the most talked-about moments from IShowSpeed's livestreams in 2023, as well as some relevant fan reactions.

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Recapping IShowSpeed's 2023

1) IShowSpeed accidentally flashes his genitals while playing Five Nights at Freddy's

Darren's August 17 livestream was by far one of the most viral moments of his online career. The streamer decided to play the popular horror game, Five Nights at Freddy's. At one point, the 18-year-old personality was startled by one of the in-game characters, causing him to go berserk.

Things took a turn for the worse when IShowSpeed accidentally flashed his genitals in front of over 20,000 viewers. When the YouTuber realized what had happened, he immediately shut down the broadcast. The unexpected situation gained so much attention that the hashtag #IShowMeat began trending on X (formerly Twitter).

The following day (August 18, 2023), IShowSpeed addressed the community and became quite emotional while discussing the incident. Stating that one of his "worst fears" came true, the streamer said:

"This is truly an embarrassing f**king moment for me. Nah, really. And I've lately been, in these past hours, I've been suffering mentally. You know, genuinely bro - at the end of the day I am still a human being, bro. And one of my worst fears that I never ever wanted to happen. Like... as a streamer, this is one of your worst fears, you know? And millions of people seeing, you know... it's depressing, bro. You guys don't know what I'm feeling right now."

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2) IShowSpeed finally meets his icon, Cristiano Ronaldo

It's no secret that Darren is a Cristiano Ronaldo superfan who has been on a year-long quest to meet his idol. On June 18, 2023, the streamer finally met Ronaldo when he played in a match between Portugal and Bosnia & Herzegovina at the Estádio da Luz in Lisbon.

IShowSpeed waited patiently for Ronaldo in the parking lot. When he saw his idol in person, he fell to his knees and began crying. He said:

"Oh my god, oh my god, oh my god, I’m sorry! Oh my god, Ronaldo! Oh, my god! Take a picture. Take a picture, please! Oh, my god! I love you, bro!"

The much-anticipated collaboration took over social media, with Darren's photo with Ronaldo receiving 15.1 million likes on Instagram.

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3) IShowSpeed leaves fans concerned after getting hospitalized in Tokyo, Japan

A month after meeting Cristiano Ronaldo, IShowSpeed traveled to Tokyo, Japan. After hosting a few IRL broadcasts, the streamer took to his YouTube channel (on July 28, 2023) to announce that he was suffering from cluster headaches. Two days later (July 30, 2023), Darren left fans concerned when he revealed that his right eye had swollen significantly, and he was being rushed to the hospital.

Slipz, the YouTuber's close friend and video editor, shared a health update later that day, stating that Darren had been diagnosed with a severe sinus infection. In a post on X, Slipz wrote:

"Docs saying most likely a severe sinus infection based on what they see from the CT scan. Eye doctor says his eye should be fine (no damage like blindness). Now a sinus doctor is coming to check him out to confirm. He's getting (an) IV now for antibiotics and nutrients."

IShowSpeed hosted a comeback livestream on August 16, 2023, and claimed that he "almost died" from cluster headaches and severe sinus infection:

"Y'all don't know what the hell I went through, bro. Chat, do y'all know what the f**k, like, I almost f**king died, bro! I literally almost- bro, chat - I almost jumped off a f**king building, chat. I almost jumped off of a f**king building! I was this close to jumping off of a f**king Japanese building, bro."

Timestamp: 00:04:25

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4) Some controversial moments

2023 was also a year when Darren got embroiled in some controversies. On April 23, 2023, he hosted an IRL prom date broadcast, during which he made some rather suggestive remarks towards a waitress at a restaurant. He said:

"Yeah, I got more. Can I get a pair of... if we're the last two people on Earth, would you reproduce with me? If we're the last two people on Earth... would you... reproduce with me?"

Timestamp: 01:38:30

The latter was taken aback by the streamer's question and responded:

"No. I'm not going to do that, but the last two people are."

In another instance, IShowSpeed once again celebrated the 4th of July by bursting firecrackers indoors. Netizens weren't too happy with Darren's antics, with some questioning why he put his life and eyesight at risk by bursting fireworks inside his room.

Here's a snapshot of some reactions shared on X:

Netizens' reaction to streamer bursting fireworks indoors (Image via SpeedUpdates1/X)

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Additionally, IShowSpeed surprised fans by traveling to India, where he collaborated with Indian celebrities such as Daler Mehndi and MC Stan. He also attended the Ballon d'Or 2023 ceremony on October 30, 2023, and met sporting icons such as Novak Djokovic, Erling Haaland, and Vinicius Jr.