On Sunday, Kick streamers Jon Zherka and Heelmike were banned off the platform after they allegedly brought a minor onto one of their party streams.
Both have a long history of controversial behavior and suspensions on the platform, though according to Twitter reporter Jake Lucky, this time the ban is “irreversible.” When you visit either streamer’s Kick page, all you get is a 404 message.
A Kick representative told Passionfruit over email: “Unfortunately, we are unable to provide a comment or share any information regarding this matter due to our Privacy Policy. We are committed to adhering strictly to our policies, which prohibit the disclosure of any user information to third parties.”
This is just another of many examples of Kick’s culture, a community streamer devoid of sense chasing the dragon of an ever-growing, young, and controversial viewership.
Zherka wrote in a statement on Twitter after the stream that he “did nothing wrong” and “followed every professional step by ID checking with multiple people.” In his statement, Heelmike wrote, “Last night we got set up by a trusted worker of mine,” referring to the woman who brought the alleged minor to Zherka’s stream.
Clips of the stream started to go viral — one clip with the caption “send this guy to prison” has been watched 5.8 million times. Another tweet sharing a screenshot of Heelmike in bed with one of the young women posted to his Discord with the caption: “Heelmike needs to be locked up for life” 20 million views.
Another Day on Kick
Riding the wave of Andrew Tate’s misogyny, Zherka made a name for himself starting in 2019 on Twitch. After three bans on Amazon’s platform, he made the way over to Kick in 2023.
Appearing on man-o-sphere podcasts like Fresh N Fit and the Leo & Danny Show, his defense of traditional masculinity and the constant hunt for women built him up a sizable audience. Heelmike started to join him on his streams over the past few weeks, fighting and soliciting women.
Zherka has a long history of making pedophilic statements that he claims are jokes. In a May stream draped in Trump regalia, he tells a 14-year-old that he “needs her,” and when her age is shared he says, “This got even better.” This stream immediately followed Zherka’s month-long suspension after attacking streamer HSTikkyTokky on the streets of Miami.
In December, he received a three-day suspension after flirting with a woman who said she was 16 on stream — though he claimed on Twitter it was because of “hate speech.”
Zherka did not return a request for comment.
On Kick, a platform that deals with a never-ending stream of controversy, Zherka blended right in. The “comedian’s” edgy jokes that had him screaming the n-word in Times Square appealed to Kick’s core demo of young edge lords.
The same audience that loves to watch Kick co-owner Adin Ross convince his fans to harass their family members also vibes with Zherka’s unabashed fuck you mentality.
Kick has tried positioning itself as a home for creators who want to make a living, offering a higher revenue split on subscriptions than Twitch and a paid incentive program; it just can’t compete with all the controversy.
Whether it’s filming an escort without her permission and blocking her from leaving or having its streamers harass con-goers at an event it sponsors, there’s just always something new.
Zherka and Heelmike might be done on Kick, but they are the platform’s culture.
