Pokimane was livestreaming when she received news that forced her to abruptly end the stream: Mimi, the cat who had been part of her life for eight years, had been rushed to the vet after falling from a balcony. The pet did not survive.
When she returned, the streamer broke down in tears. “I can’t believe my baby is gone“, she said as she tried to explain what had happened. According to her account, some cleaners had opened the balcony door to let in some air, and the screen door was left open. A few minutes later, Mimi went outside and fell.
But the tragedy quickly became a topic of debate. Some users questioned why the balcony wasn’t fully secured, and others even doubted that it was simply an accident. There were also people who criticized Pokimane for making her loss public.
She responded by explaining that she had installed safety measures on the balconies in her previous homes, but the current building wouldn’t let her do so. Even so, she was clear: “I don’t want to blame anyone. This was a tragic accident“.
Other users, however, felt it was cruel to turn a pet’s death into yet another discussion about the streamer’s controversies. And some pointed out that Mimi wasn’t just some pet unknown to the internet: she had been part of Pokimane’s life for eight years.
Now the question dividing social media is a different one: Is it fair to question the circumstances of a tragedy like this, or are there times when we should simply let someone grieve?