Online Performers Group CEO Omeed Dariani has been publicly accused of sexual misconduct by Molly Ayala the Overwatch Community Development Lead via Twitter. Molly shared a story of her experience with Dariani at Pax Prime 2014 which lead to being propositioned for a threesome with his wife on multiple occasions.
My experience with Omeed Dariani.
Read: https://t.co/rU8ZoGLCiF
— Molly Fender Ayala (@ItsMeMollyO) June 21, 2020
Back at Pax Prime 2014, I met you in person for the first time. I was still in college and it was my second convention ever… I was trying to meet people to learn how to break into the gaming industry. When we were introduced, I was really in awe of you. You had been in the industry for many years, multiple companies, and it seemed like you knew everyone. At the time, you were in a senior position at Sony Online Entertainment. I looked up to you and wanted to learn from you anything that I could because I wanted to be like you.
While hanging out with a bunch of other streamers and industry folk, we had some great conversations about the industry and your experiences. As typical for conventions, these conversations went late into the night/morning. When it was time to head back to the hotels, we walked back together – still talking about life, games, and industry things. As we were about to go our separate ways, I wanted to make sure I had learned as much as possible… I asked if you had any final advice for someone like me trying to make it and succeed in the gaming industry. Your response was a story about a girl who had quickly gotten ahead by sleeping with some of the men at her company – you remarked that in a male dominated industry, it was really the best way to get ahead. That’s just how the industry is. You told me that it was a small industry – very relationship based. You told me that you could help me. You also told me about how people could also be your downfall and that you had personally blacklisted others before… and about women who had been blacklisted in the industry for not “doing the right thing.”
Shortly after these stories, you propositioned me to come back to your room for a threesome with you and your wife. I was shocked and confused. I playfully brushed off the suggestion – thinking there’s no way that could actually be what you meant. (Especially after the stories you had just told me.) But, you asked a second time – this time more bluntly. I declined a second time. At this point, I had some pretty strong red flags, but not wanting to be “blacklisted” I politely made excuses for needing to leave. We went our separate ways and I avoided you for the rest of the convention.
Following the incident, Dariani issued a direct response to Ayala via Twitter accompanied by an overly aggressive number of tweets stating, “He believes her”. He also announced that he has stepped down from the OPG CEO position indefinitely.
This is a good example of what I was just saying.
It seems unlikely that I’d proposition someone to have a threesome with my sleeping wife who isn’t into threesomes, but whatever I said or did communicated that.
Unfortunately, it traumatized someone in the community for years. https://t.co/PxlV25ieS5
— Omeed (@Omeed) June 21, 2020
I am no longer the CEO of OPG.
OPG is a special company. It has created opportunity where none existed before.
The talented women and men who work there pour their hearts into it daily. Give them a chance.
Please don’t destroy it because you’re angry at me.
— Omeed (@Omeed) June 21, 2020
Shortly after the Dariani tweets approximately 50 of the 73 creators partnered with OPG reportedly left the company. Amongst the known creators that left OPG are T-Pain, Dragonforce, H1N1, MrGrimmmz, Anthony Kongphan, Ben ’CohhCarnage’ Cassell, Dodger, Strippin, Gassy Mexican, Sacriel and Towellie. At the moment there is no way to accurately measure who left since OPG has taken their client list down from the website. Expect a large number of announcements from content creators regarding the situation within the next few days.
