Chinese Esports Organization Edward Gaming Faces Sexual Assault Allegations
Edward Gaming (EDG), a prominent Chinese esports organization, is currently facing allegations of covering up and facilitating sexual assault between two staff members. The accusations were brought to light by a former employee who shared her experience, along with supporting message logs and video evidence, on Weibo, a popular social media platform in China.
According to the former employee, she was repeatedly sexually harassed by one of the crew’s cameramen, referred to as “A Yuan,” over a period of more than a year. She reported the incidents to the management leader in January, hoping that the organization would take action and remove the perpetrator from the work environment. However, the company did not address the issue at the time, leaving her feeling helpless.
In an effort to gather evidence, the former employee informed EDG’s operation manager about the sexual assaults. Shockingly, she was advised to “seduce” A Yuan to obtain proof against him. Additionally, the screenshots shared by the employee suggest that EDG attempted to silence her by offering financial compensation.
In a further attempt to expose the truth, the former employee posted an 18-second video clip showing A Yuan inappropriately touching her. The video clearly demonstrates her discomfort as she tries to avoid his advances.
The former employee stated that she tried her best to avoid being alone with the cameraman and even distanced herself from him. However, despite her efforts, EDG allegedly created situations where the two were in close proximity.
EDG has responded to the allegations on Weibo, asserting that the former employee failed to provide any evidence beyond verbal complaints. The organization claims to have conducted investigations and insists that it did not find conclusive proof of sexual assault. EDG also denies that the financial compensation provided to the victim was a “hushing-fee,” but rather a bonus for the video team’s work in 2019 that was shared among several members of the team.
EDG emphasizes that it has a “zero tolerance” policy towards any form of misconduct or inappropriate behavior. The organization further encourages interested readers to visit its official Weibo account for the complete statement.
Chinese esports, Edward Gaming, sexual assault allegations, former employee, Weibo, EDG’s response