Kai Cenat avoids charges stemming from last year’s New York City giveaway melee

Kai Cenat has resolved a legal issue that stemmed from the chaotic giveaway he hosted in New York City’s Union Square last year. After the Twitch star issued a public apology, the Manhattan district attorney’s office said it would not prosecute Cenat on charges of inciting a riot.

In August 2023, Cenat’s fans swarmed Union Square after the streamer announced that he would give away Playstation 5s and $100 gift cards at an event in the park. The “uncontrolled” crowd climbed on cars and buses and caused damage to the surrounding area. By the time the rioters dispersed, 65 people had been arrested and at least four had been hospitalized.

Cenat was charged with first-degree rioting, inciting a riot, and — since he didn’t obtain a proper permit — unlawful assembly. He was given a desk appearance ticket that required him to face his charges in court at a future date, but Cenat was able to avoid prosecution by cutting a deal. A spokesperson for Manhattan DA Alvin Bragg said that the charges will be dropped so long as Cenat issues a public policy and pays $57,000 in restitution .The Union Square Partnership will use that money to cover landscaping costs.

In addition to Cenat, two other members of the creator group AMP were also charged in response to the giveaway gone wrong. Duke Dennis and Agent 00 are also expected to deliver public apologies and pay fines in order to clear their names.

Cenat has been apologetic about the chaotic scene since it happened, but his deal with the DA’s office required him to upload a public mea culpa for at least 24 hours. He followed through on Snapchat, where he lamented the “unsafe situation” he fomented. “I wanted to do something cool and fun for people and did not think it was going to turn into something that caused harm to the city,” the Bronx native wrote. “I should have thought more about the post before I announced it.”

Though Cenat only narrowly avoided criminal charges, the incident in Union Square did little to blunt his exploding popularity. Nine months later, his star is as big as ever; he recently became the tenth streamer to accrue at least 10 million followers on Twitch.