British content creator Sam Pepper allegedly injured an 8-year-old girl in Delhi on Diwali, October 20, when he engaged in a “firecracker brawl” with a group.
The incident led to a widespread social media outage, resulting in the 36-year-old being banned from streaming platform Kick.
Who is Sam Pepper?
Sam Pepper aka Samuel Nicholas Pepper is a British internet influencer, known for his controversial YouTube pranks, reality TV appearances, and topical content on TikTok. Before becoming famous, he worked as a graffiti artist and started his online career in 2010.
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Sam first gained public attention as a contestant on the 11th season of Big Brother UK in 2010, where he entered the house as a replacement contestant and was evicted after 73 days. His appearance on the show helped him build a following, which he later used to create online content.
After Big Brother, Sam Pepper launched his YouTube channel, initially focusing on prank videos. Its content often caused controversy, particularly due to pranks that were perceived as cruel or inappropriate, leading to significant backlash.
In particular, he faced heavy criticism in 2014 for a prank video titled “Fake Hand Ass Pinch Prank”, which many viewers interpreted as promoting sexual harassment. This controversy resulted in a drop in his subscribers and loss of sponsorship.
In recent years, Sam has focused on TikTok, creating more hilarious and engaging content. He has amassed millions of followers on the platform and showcased a reinvention of his online persona.
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How did Sam Pepper hurt the 8-year-old?
According to media reports, Sam was celebrating Diwali in Delhi and live-streamed when locals set off fireworks across a neighborhood street. So he allegedly joined them, lit and set off his own fireworks towards another group celebrating nearby.
In the viral video, the influencer appeared to aim fireworks directly at people across the road. However, Petarda made contact with a group of local residents. As the explosion occurred, Sam’s cameraman could be heard shouting excitedly as the influencer smiled for the camera.
Locals confirmed a girl was injured after Sam Pepper’s fireworks hit the crowd.
In another viral clip, the group can be seen confronting the influencer, complaining that his fireworks injured a young girl’s eye.
Sam Pepper initially reacted incredulously, saying “No, no!” before adding that he thought they might be exaggerating. The local insisted it was serious, to which Sam Pepper replied that he was just “playing around” and that it was an accident.
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While social media users feared the worst, later reports clarified that the girl’s injury was a superficial gash above her eyebrow and not a loss of vision.
The British influencer said his team covered the medical expenses and got the girl treated. He also said the team confirmed she was recovering at home after a “paper stitch”.
