Full Statement on the Charity Auction and Recent Allegations

To everyone following the situation regarding the charity auction, I want to address the claims that have been circulating, particularly in a recent video. This has been an incredibly difficult experience, but I believe the full story deserves to be heard.

First and foremost, I accept that the handling of this auction item was far from ideal. I want to sincerely apologize to those impacted, especially the winner, for the delays and confusion, and I tremendously appreciate the patience and support the winner has shown me. I take responsibility for how things unfolded. But I also need to be transparent about the challenges that were taking place behind the scenes, many of which have not been shared publicly until now.

I feel that it is time that I share this with everyone, as I have come to terms with what has occurred in the summer. At the time this auction was concluding, I was in the middle of a serious and distressing transition. My previous management team had taken full control of my brand, and I was actively working with lawyers and police to reclaim ownership of Dokibird. During this time, I was also forced to move out of my home under police supervision, a situation so severe it required formal reports and the help of personal friends and staff. It was during this incredibly turbulent time that the charity item fell into the hands of my team while I was trying to survive and restart my life from the ground up. I won’t go into too much detail, but this screenshot is a snapshot of how bad it was.

So to be fair, my team and I were under a lot of pressure. We still came out of this and had to immediately start to pick up the pieces of the business. And during this time, there was no attempt from the other side to follow up or reach out after the initial silence. My staff wasn’t sure how to proceed, and I, truthfully, was overwhelmed and unable to manage the situation while trying to re-establish basic stability in my personal and professional life.

Eventually, I stepped back in personally to handle the PC build when it became clear it was dragging on too long. I contacted the builder myself and was informed of a prior medical emergency. Still, no follow-up ever came from them afterward, despite months passing, and I had to initiate contact again.

As for the auction process itself, the starting bid was always intended to reflect the cost of the item. This was standard across all auction pieces, and many artists we worked with can confirm this. I was confused when the PC build kept increasing in quoted price, from $6k, to $8k, to $12k, then $14k, with no consistent rationale. I even offered to pay more than the original bid due to the delays, but the shifting figures and eventual threat of daily penalties for missing an arbitrary deadline left me overwhelmed and unsure if I could continue the partnership. The builder provided irrational hours in the timelog, asking for obscene amounts and services we never agreed on. Eventually, I was told I’d owe a $4k cancellation fee, yet I had not agreed to any finalized scope or cost. There was no contract signed between me, Dokibird, and them directly.

Here is one of the quotes they sent us:

And the timesheet they claimed to have accumulated already for 120 hours, which my staff and I found untruthful, especially when I was not shown any proof of labor. We requested if there was a way to provide us proof, which was then also ignored:

Throughout this, I asked for one thing multiple times: a time-lapse video of the PC build that was drafted, which the builder themselves had originally said existed. They told us it existed, and I asked if I could see it, but I was then ignored. I even stated in writing that I would pay the full amount, no questions asked. Despite multiple requests by me and my staff via email, it was never delivered. At this point, the builder’s behavior was showing bad faith to me, the buyer.

Then came two incredibly personal accusations that crossed a line for me: that I was “pocketing” charity money and that I did this for a tax write-off. These were not only false but deeply hurtful. All money from the bids went directly to the charity through Tiltify. I paid artists out-of-pocket, including shipping and production costs, and in some cases even covered or increased their rates myself. To be accused of using this for personal gain was crushing, especially as someone who has consistently tried to share what I have with others.

Due to how emotionally charged the situation became, I chose to step away and let my team manage it more professionally. I was on a rare, long-awaited vacation at the time, while also suffering from severe food poisoning and still trying to resolve this situation behind the scenes. This was well documented on stream and on social media. Anyone who knows me knows I rarely take time off. This was a trip to Japan for my first LAN Apex event, which had been planned for months.

Eventually, I worked with a new PC builder using my Hyte case. I upgraded all the parts at my own expense and tried to spend nearly $10k to deliver what was promised. Unfortunately, Amazon canceled my parts order shortly before the winner’s travel date, meaning we could no longer deliver the PC in time. At that point, the winner and I mutually agreed that I would send them $7.5k to build their own non-themed PC. We considered the matter resolved.

Two days later, the video was posted, after the payment had already been made and the issue had been settled. The video description and pinned comment were edited after the fact to say I had paid the auction winner, but it falsely implied I only did so because of public pressure. That’s simply not true.

I didn’t screenshot anything from our conversations in the discord group because I had hoped to resolve this privately, without dragging it into the public eye. But in hindsight, that was naive. I’ve always tried to avoid public conflict, but now I’m being forced to defend myself from a one-sided narrative.

The pain cuts deeper when I see people claiming I didn’t want to pay because it was the most expensive item. That’s not true. I’ve paid for other auction items valued even higher, and this was never about avoiding payment. It was about trying to navigate an increasingly confusing, emotionally fraught, and mismanaged situation in the middle of one of the hardest years of my life.

For context: I’ve always tried to treat the artists I work with fairly. Sometimes I pay late because I’m overwhelmed or unwell, and as my community knows, I’ve faced numerous health and personal challenges lately, but I always pay. I’ve covered late fees, offered bonuses, and donated to artists in need. To now be accused of being manipulative or exploitative after everything I’ve given, financially and emotionally, is devastating.

I’m not perfect. I get emotional. I talk from the heart, not always from a “business-only” place. And yes, I should have kept some personal matters out of these conversations. That’s on me. But I’m only one person, trying to keep everything afloat.

To be called a manipulator or gaslighter, when all I’ve done is try to fix things, learn, and grow, is deeply unfair. This entire experience has broken my heart.

This statement was not something I ever wanted to write. But after being repeatedly asked to “say something,” and after having personal pain used for public drama, I felt exploited, and I felt I had no choice. I hope this is the only time I’ll have to speak on this.

Moving forward, I will no longer be handling direct negotiations for my brand. I’ve learned that my emotional communication style makes me vulnerable to being misunderstood or misrepresented, and I don’t want that to affect others.

I hope people will take a moment to hear the full context, not just the most viral part of the story. Thank you to those who’ve shown patience, understanding, and support.

Apologies for my break this week because I am tired, all I want to do is to spend time with my closest and only family right now as my dog had just got home after surgery and rehabilitation.

I’m still learning. I’m still healing. And I’m still trying to do better every day.