SSSniperWolf
Personal information
Born
Alia Shelesh

(1992-10-22) October 22, 1992
Liverpool, England
Nationality
  • British
  • American[1]
OccupationYouTuber
SpouseEvan Young
Organization(s)Channel Red, LLC.[2]
YouTube information
Also known assexysexysniper
Channel
Years active
  • 2011–2013 as sexysexysniper
  • 2013–present as SSSniperWolf
Genres
Subscribers34.2 million[3]
Total views24.1 billion[3]
100,000 subscribers2013
1,000,000 subscribers2015
10,000,000 subscribers2018
Last updated: November 9, 2023

Alia "Lia" Shelesh (born October 22, 1992), better known as SSSniperWolf, is a British-American YouTuber. After having uploaded Call of Duty Let's Play videos as sexysexysniper, Shelesh registered the "SSSniperWolf" YouTube channel in 2013, which rose to prominence in the following years. According to British Vogue in 2020, she is one of the most recognisable social media personalities associated with online video games.[4] In 2017, she shifted her focus from video game-related content to reaction videos. In 2023, after receiving criticism for "freebooting" TikTok videos in her reaction-type content,[5][6] she was involved in an internet scandal involving allegations that she doxxed a critic, YouTuber jacksfilms, resulting in temporary demonetization.

Life and career

Early life and career beginnings

Alia Shelesh was born on October 22, 1992 in Liverpool, England.[1] She is Turkish through her mother and Greek through her father.[1] Her family moved to the United States when she was six, at which age she started playing video games.[7][8]

Shelesh started uploading videos to her YouTube channel "sexysexysniper",[6][video 1] consisting of Let's Plays of games such as Call of Duty.[6] This channel was active in 2011[video 1] and 2012.[video 2] She moved to the SSSniperWolf channel in 2013,[6] on which her first video was a compilation of fails in Call of Duty: Black Ops II.[video 3] She derived her handle from Sniper Wolf, a character from the Metal Gear video game series.[1]

Rise in prominence and shift to reaction videos

In 2016, she featured on Day of Doom, an event that was hosted by id Software.[9][10][11] In 2017, she hosted the show Clickbait in which social media influencers competed in unusual challenges.[12][13][14] She also made an appearance on FANtasies, an anthology series.[15][16]

In early 2017, the genre of her content changed from entirely gaming-oriented to primarily reaction videos.[17][18] That year, her channel grew to over five million subscribers, and she was among the ten entrants in Forbes' "Top Influencers" list in the "Gaming" category for 2017.[19][20] In 2018, she appeared on an episode of Fear Factor[1] and on an episode of Ultimate Expedition.[21][22][23] In 2019, she was nominated in the 2019 Teen Choice Awards in the category "Choice Gamer"[24] and won the "Favorite Esports Star" award in the 2019 Kids' Choice Sports.[25][26] In 2019 and 2020, she won the Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Awards in the category "favorite gamer".[27][28]

Legal dispute with Evan Young and scrutiny of old content

On August 1, 2023, it was reported that Shelesh was one of the highest-paid YouTubers with a net worth of US$16 million.[29] On August 17, Evan Young filed a lawsuit against Shelesh for breach of contract and financial misdoings in relation to content produced by Channel Red, their joint company. He accused her of not paying him for work he did for Channel Red.[30] Young also claimed he curated and scripted her content for years.[6] Shelesh filed a motion to dismiss on October 5, 2023, claiming the accusations were "vindictive". In the dismissal, attorneys claimed that not long after filing for divorce, Young locked Shelesh out of several YouTube channels they managed together, including the main SSSniperWolf channel and her personal channel Little Lia.[31]

Later that month, Shelesh gained scrutiny after an old YouTube video of hers resurfaced in which she appeared to act in a sexually explicit way with minors on Omegle, a defunct platform that allowed users to be paired with random people and start a video call. Internet users grew concerned about her content and its impact on her young audience.[32]

Conflict with jacksfilms

YouTuber John Patrick Douglass, known as jacksfilms, accused Shelesh of profiting from other creators' work through monetizing her reaction videos, while frequently not providing proper credit,[29] and characterized her content as rudimentary and not transformative enough for fair use.[29] In 2022, he began using the "JJJacksfilms" account to parody Shelesh's videos.[33][34] In response, she made several social media posts accusing him of sexism and plagiarism.[29]

On October 13, 2023, Shelesh, while filming near Douglass's house, asked her followers if she should pay him a visit, stating that he lives near Shelesh's studio. She showed his house in an Instagram story[5] captioned "let's talk like adults",[33][35][36] which was quickly removed, but her followers shared screenshots.[33] Douglass responded by accusing Shelesh of doxing him,[5] called her actions "creepy, gross, violating",[37] and asked YouTube to demonetize her.[35] Douglass's wife expressed safety concerns,[34][38] and the pair contemplated moving.[39] Shelesh said that she "had no idea how to dox", that Douglass was "creating drama to pay their bills", and called him a "creep".[40] Social media users drew comparisons between Shelesh and Twitch streamer and YouTuber Pokimane, who responded by siding with Douglass.[41] Shelesh discussed seeking a restraining order against Douglass, whom she called "obsessed" over the matter.[42]

On October 18, YouTube tweeted "would it be too meta to do a reaction video to a reaction video", which multiple users interpreted as an offhand comment on the situation, causing a backlash.[43] By October 19, a Change.org petition to remove SSSniperWolf from YouTube gathered 13,000 signatures.[44] The next day, YouTube temporarily demonetized her channel,[45] while expressing disapproval of both sides' behavior.[5] Multiple YouTubers saw the latter as unfair.[46] Shelesh subsequently apologized to Douglass in a tweet, saying that her actions were "inexcusable" and that she respects YouTube's decision.[47] She continued to upload videos on her "SSSniperWolf Top Videos" channel, but it was later also demonetized. On November 25, she uploaded a non-monetized video to her channel.[48][49][50]

Reception

In a review of her main channel, Kennedy Unthank from Plugged In commends her for seeking to "make people laugh through daily uploads" and the quantity of available videos. Unthank voices concern that she "may be profiting from someone else’s work" with her reaction videos through YouTube's monetization system. According to Unthank, while some of her reactions provide additional insight or have a transformative nature, many of her videos did not offer anything substantial over the original clip that was being reacted to. He advises parents to be aware of the profanity and sensual content he noticed in many of her videos.[51]

Linguist John McWhorter of the New York Times commented on her use of Black English words and idioms, using her language as an example of "effortless infusion of Black English expressions".[52]

Personal life

In 2019, Shelesh and Evan Young, her partner at the time, bought a house in Henderson, Nevada for $2.9 million, through an entity named Red Channel Living Trust,[53] which they sold for $4 million in 2022,[18] after which they bought 2.25 acres of vacant land on Mummy Mountain, Arizona for a little under $7 million.[2][18] In September 2023, they were reported to be legally married,[18][30] though they had separated in September 2022[6] and filed for divorce in late 2022.[30]

References

Works cited

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 Mboga, Paulette (6 September 2022). "Sssniperwolf's parents: 5 quick facts that you need to know". Tuko.co.ke. Retrieved 1 November 2023.
  2. 1 2 Reagor, Catherine (28 April 2022). "Arizona Business Gazette 28 Apr 2022, page BG2". Newspapers.com. USA Today. Retrieved 2 November 2023.
  3. 1 2 "About SSSniperWolf". YouTube.
  4. ↑ Braun, Freddie (10 May 2020). "Three Female Pro-Gamers On The Perks Of Online Community". British Vogue. Retrieved 12 November 2023.
  5. 1 2 3 4 "Two YouTubers Fought Over Doxxing Accusation. YouTube Criticized For Slow Response". TIME. 20 October 2023. Retrieved 2 November 2023.
  6. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Mather, Katie (29 September 2023). "YouTuber SSSniperwolf is allegedly being sued by husband, former collaborator 1 year after breakup". In The Know. Archived from the original on 2023-11-02. Retrieved 2 November 2023.
  7. ↑ Ayub, Simon (2022-06-02). "Who is Sssniperwolf's boyfriend? Is she married to Evan Sausage?". Tuko.co.ke - Kenya news. Retrieved 2023-11-07.
  8. ↑ Ayub, Simon (2022-09-07). "Who are Sssniperwolf's brothers? Does she have a half-brother?". Tuko.co.ke - Kenya news. Retrieved 2023-11-07.
  9. ↑ "iJustine, Rob Gronkowski, And More To Compete In Live Doom Tournament On YouTube Gaming". Tubefilter. 2016-03-25. Retrieved 2023-11-08.
  10. ↑ Futter, Mike (2016-03-24). "Doom Preview - Bethesda Teams With Pro Athletes To Reveal New Doom Multiplayer Footage". Game Informer. Retrieved 2023-11-12.
  11. ↑ Takahashi, Dean (2016-03-24). "Bethesda teams YouTube stars with sports athletes in Day of Doom tournament". VentureBeat. Retrieved 2023-11-12.
  12. ↑ Hipes, Patrick (2017-04-21). "Fullscreen Picks Up 'Clickbait With SSSniperWolf' Game Show With Social Media Stars". Deadline. Retrieved 2023-11-08.
  13. ↑ "Fullscreen Picks Up 'Clickbait' Game Show Starring SSSniperWolf". Tubefilter. 2017-04-21. Retrieved 2023-11-08.
  14. ↑ "Clickbait with Sssniperwolf". Amazon Prime Video. 2017. Retrieved 2023-11-08.
  15. ↑ Petski, Denise (2017-05-25). "Fullscreen & Wattpad Partner on 'FANtasies' Scripted Anthology Series". Deadline. Retrieved 2023-11-08.
  16. ↑ "New Fullscreen Series Will Bring Wattpad Fan Fiction About Mamrie Hart, Jon Cozart, To Life". Tubefilter. 2017-05-26. Retrieved 2023-11-08.
  17. ↑ "Creators Going Pro: YouTube Gaming Star SSSniperwolf Has 20 Million Followers, But Still Wonders If This Is What She's Meant To Do". Tubefilter. 2018-12-19. Retrieved 2023-11-07.
  18. 1 2 3 4 Goodykoontz, Bill. "These YouTubers paid millions for Arizona land. Who are SSSniperwolf and Evan Sausage?". The Arizona Republic. Retrieved 2023-11-07.
  19. ↑ "Top Influencers of 2017: Gaming". Forbes. Jun 20, 2017. Retrieved 12 November 2023.
  20. ↑ Crecente, Brian (20 June 2017). "Markiplier named world's most influential gamer". Polygon. Retrieved 12 November 2023.
  21. ↑ "SSSniperWolf, Furious Pete To Compete In YouTube Red's 'Ultimate Expedition' (Trailer)". Tubefilter. 2017-12-14. Retrieved 2023-11-08.
  22. ↑ "'Ultimate Expedition' sneak peek: Chuck Liddell uses an MMA move on Steve-O". Entertainment Weekly. 2018-01-16. Retrieved 2023-11-08.
  23. ↑ Harris, Jacquari (2018-02-20). "Celebrities Take 'Ultimate' Challenge with Jukka Hildén on YouTube RED". JMG. Retrieved 2023-11-08.
  24. ↑ "Teen Choice Awards 2019: See the full list of winners and nominees". Entertainment Weekly. 2019-08-11. Retrieved 2023-11-08.
  25. ↑ Bell, BreAnna (2019-07-12). "Dwyane Wade, Megan Rapinoe Win Big at 2019 Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Sports Awards". Variety. Retrieved 2023-11-02.
  26. ↑ "Nickelodeon's Kids' Choice Sports 2019 Winners Release". Paramount Global. 2019-07-11. Retrieved 2023-11-02.
  27. ↑ Bennett, Anita (2019-03-24). "Kids' Choice Awards 2019 – Complete Winners List". Deadline. Retrieved 2023-11-08.
  28. ↑ Nordyke, Kimberly (2020-05-02). "Kids' Choice Awards: LeBron James, 'Endgame' Cast and Slime Featured in Virtual Show". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 2023-11-12.
  29. 1 2 3 4 Mather, Katie (2023-08-01). "YouTuber Jacksfilms alleges SSSniperwolf, one of the highest-paid creators on the platform, 'steals' content: 'Disheartening'". In The Know. Archived from the original on 2023-10-26. Retrieved 2023-11-07.
  30. 1 2 3 Phillipp, Charlotte (2023-09-29). "YouTube Star SSSniperWolf Sued by Estranged Husband, Former Collaborator for Breach of Contract". The Messenger. Retrieved 2023-11-07.
  31. ↑ Phillipp, Charlotte (2023-11-09). "YouTube Star SSSniperWolf Pushes for Estranged Husband's Lawsuit to Be Thrown Out". The Messenger. Retrieved 2023-11-10.
  32. ↑ "'Disgusting,' SSSniperwolf faces backlash for asking a minor to 'FLASH' in a resurfaced clip amid Jacksfilms controversy". Hindustan Times. 2023-10-19. Retrieved 2023-11-09.
  33. 1 2 3 Spindler, Emily (2023-10-26). "SSSniperWolf and JacksFilms Wild YouTuber Drama, Explained". Kotaku Australia. Retrieved 2023-11-02.
  34. 1 2 "Jacksfilms urges YouTube to "step in" after SSSniperwolf doxxing allegations". Tubefilter. 2023-10-18. Retrieved 2023-11-07.
  35. 1 2 Marshall, Cass (2023-10-25). "YouTube demonetizes popular content creator SSSniperwolf after doxxing accusations". Polygon. Retrieved 2023-11-02.
  36. ↑ Kalhan Rosenblatt; Angela Yang (2023-10-20). "YouTube demonetizes prominent creator Sssniperwolf's channel following accusations of doxxing fellow creator". NBC News. Retrieved 2023-11-02.
  37. ↑ Barovic, Andrej (2023-10-14). "Jacksfilms says he was doxed by Sssniperwolf after shining light on reaction-style YT content". Dot Esports. Retrieved 2023-11-07.
  38. ↑ Dodgson, Lindsay. "YouTuber Jacksfilms says a streamer he criticized showed up to his house and doxxed him to her 34 million followers". Insider. Retrieved 2023-11-07.
  39. ↑ Dodgson, Lindsay (2023-11-05). "Jacksfilms said he was 'strongly considering moving' after getting doxxed by fellow YouTuber to her millions of followers". Insider. Retrieved 2023-11-10.
  40. ↑ Arya, Vaishnavi (14 October 2023). "Jacksfilms accuses SSSniperwolf of 'doxxing' him, asks YouTube to demonetize 'dangerous creator'". Hindustan Times. Retrieved 6 November 2023.
  41. ↑ "'Please don't': Pokimane hits back at SSSsniperwolf comparisons in JacksFilms doxxing saga". Dot Esports. 2023-10-19. Retrieved 2023-11-07.
  42. ↑ "Jacksfilms calls out YouTube hypocrisy as SSsniperwolf remains unbanned after doxxing incident". Dot Esports. 2023-10-18. Retrieved 2023-11-07.
  43. ↑ Dodgson, Lindsay. "People are critcizing YouTube for inaction after Jacksfilms said he was doxxed by a rival creator to her 34 million followers". Insider. Retrieved 2023-11-12.
  44. ↑ Tsiaoussidis, Alex (2023-10-20). "Pressure mounts on YouTube to ban SSSniperwolf for doxxing after 'tone deaf' tweet". Dot Esports. Retrieved 2023-11-07.
  45. ↑ Pequeño IV, Antonio. "YouTube Temporarily Demonetizes SSSniperWolf After Doxxing Controversy". Forbes. Retrieved 2023-11-02.
  46. ↑ "YouTube finally takes action in SSSniperWolf controversy—and everyone's still furious". Dot Esports. 2023-10-21. Retrieved 2023-11-07.
  47. ↑ "SSSniperwolf apologises as YouTube demonetises her over 'doxxing' incident". Hindustan Times. 2023-10-21. Retrieved 2023-11-07.
  48. ↑ Schuhmann, Gerd (2023-11-26). "31-Jährige verdient kein Geld auf YouTube trotz 7 Millionen Views am Tag, weil sie ungeschriebene Regel brach". Mein-MMO.de (in German). Retrieved 2023-11-28.
  49. ↑ TeamYouTube (2023-10-23). "It's not violating YouTube's ban evasion policy if you reupload your videos from a channel that isn't monetized on a monetized channel, right?". Reddit (User comment). Retrieved 2023-11-28. Jumping in to confirm that the 'SSSniperWolf Top Videos' channel was also temporarily suspended from YPP per our Creator Responsibility guidelines. Consistent with that policy, we applied the YPP suspension to the creator's associated channels.
  50. ↑ Mathias, Viny (2023-12-02). "Youtuber com mais de 7 milhões de views por dia não ganha um centavo por ter quebrado regra básica" [Youtuber with more than 7 million views per day doesn't earn a cent due to breaking basic rules]. IGN Brasil (in Brazilian Portuguese). Retrieved 2023-12-03.
  51. ↑ Unthank, Kennedy (2023-08-25). "SSSniperWolf". Plugged In. Retrieved 2023-11-21.
  52. ↑ McWhorter, John (2021-10-08). "Opinion | Cultural Appropriation Can Be Beautiful". The New York Times. Retrieved 2023-11-21.
  53. ↑ Wargo, Buck (16 August 2019). "New Las Vegas mansions draw celebrities". Las Vegas Review-Journal. Retrieved 12 November 2023.

Video sources

  1. 1 2 Shelesh, Alia (April 22, 2011). STILL no PSN? WTF? (Video). sexysexysniper. Archived from the original on December 21, 2011. Retrieved November 12, 2023 – via YouTube.
  2. ↑ Shelesh, Alia (July 7, 2012). Caught With Porn in 6th Grade (Video). sexysexysniper. Archived from the original on July 8, 2012. Retrieved November 12, 2023 – via YouTube.
  3. ↑ Shelesh, Alia (Jan 25, 2013). BO2 Fails + Funnies #1 (Video). SSSniperWolf. Retrieved November 12, 2023 – via YouTube.
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