The Shady Side Of Jack Doherty

These days, it can sometimes feel like content creators are rewarded more for the attention they garner rather than the content they actually create. Some creators thrive on getting a rise out of people and drumming up controversy on social media, which in turn often has the effect of bringing more people to their channels. It's as they always say: "All press is good press." However, there is a limit to how true this saying is. 

Prank streamer Jack Doherty is one of the most divisive content creators in recent memory. Despite boasting a massive following, Jack Doherty has made some decisions that have caused huge segments of the internet to turn on him. Some of these controversies have even resulted in the prankster being banned from major online platforms. From the beginning of his career until now, here are some of Jack Doherty's most controversial moments.

Dr. Phil's self-named TV series has seen its own share of controversies and criticism, but managed to create some memorable moments with its brand of psychology. Due to the nature of the show, Dr. Phil is no stranger to dealing with disrespectful and misbehaving teens. With guests like the Bhad Bhabie — a.k.a. the "cash me outside" girl — and other viral sensations, Jack Doherty fits right in with the usual crowd that the audience would regularly see on the show. However, the host was clearly unprepared to deal with the young content creator, who appeared on the show with his parents.

In his appearance on "Dr. Phil," a 17-year-old Jack Doherty shared his experiences with one of his neighbors, an older lady who he calls "Karen." As seen in the clip, the neighbor threatened to call the cops on Jack for driving his dirt bike around the neighborhood. Dr. Phil pointed out that Jack seemed to be pushing the neighbor's buttons to get views for a video. However, Doherty argued that he was justified in his actions, noting that he blurred out the neighbor's face in his video for privacy reasons. The two then argued the actual meaning of the word "Karen," which didn't get too far. Dr. Phil eventually became so fed up with Jack Doherty's apparent refusal to sympathize with his parents or neighbors, leading him to prematurely end the interview. Even this early on, it was clear that Jack Doherty will do anything for views.

While Jack Doherty may behave rudely for views, egging people on is far from the worst thing that viewers have seen. In October 2024, Doherty came under fire for endangering his own life and those around him in traffic. Doherty got into a serious car accident after streaming while driving during an intense rainstorm. After looking down at his phone multiple times, he hydroplaned and totaled his brand new McLaren. Nobody was seriously injured from this accident, but his cameraman did suffer a wound to the head that caused a fair amount of bleeding.

Doherty continued filming after the accident, even encouraging his injured cameraman to continue getting footage of the wreck. Many of his fellow streamers reacted poorly to the car accident and were disappointed with how Doherty handled this situation, seemingly prioritizing views over safety. The incident led to Jack Doherty's ban from Kick, but many onlookers felt that the punishment wasn't enough, with some commenters calling for him to serve jail time. It may be a good long while before the internet lets Jack Doherty off the hook for this incident.

Considering the fact that Doherty has built a platform around messing with people, it may not be surprising that he's has gotten into a few physical altercations. However, in one specific instance, Doherty's bodyguard was accused of attacking an attorney named Chase Gardella at a Halloween party in 2023. Doherty's bodyguard Kongg allegedly assaulted Gardella and his friend while Doherty livestreamed the party on Kick. According to court documents, Gardella had been speaking with the bodyguard when Doherty came up and allegedly ordered the attack.

Many fans were upset with Doherty for this situation, especially since the streamer posted videos of the altercation. Fans were definitely baffled by this move, with one commenter on X stating, "I don't know why you'd be broadcasting your security guard sucker punching some guy for what looks like no reason. That seems like exhibit A in the lawsuit for that guy if he wants." Indeed, Gardella filed a lawsuit against Doherty and his bodyguard, though this did not convince Doherty to take the clips down.

Not all of Jack Doherty's shady moments have involved brushes with the law, but some are nearly as bad in the eyes of the viewing audience. In a stream that infuriated the internet, Doherty appeared to use a racial slur when referring to one of his friends, only to immediately regret the decision. A large portion of his audience was upset with this slip and asked for an apology. Doherty responded by claiming that he didn't use the word, claiming that it just sounded like he did. Unfortunately, the apology video didn't quite land because he then used an ableist slur to describe people who believed the bad press. Considering the fact that Doherty had previously made a TikTok sketch called "When your white friend says the N word," most viewers simply weren't buying his excuse. 

As is the case with many of these incidents, netizens were completely baffled by the way Doherty attempted to handle this controversy. Many fans believed he was just trying to dodge any blame altogether, rather than take accountability for his actions. "The fact that you used the r slur in your 'I didn't do it' video undermines your credibility," commented one viewer on X. 

Perhaps it comes with the territory as a confrontational prank streamer, but Jack Doherty has also gotten into some fairly serious beef with other creators. This includes fellow streamer N3on, who got into a physical altercation with Doherty in June 2024. The two feuding streamers met face-to-face at a Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship in Florida and began a fight of their own, right in the arena, resulting in the duo being quickly escorted from the premises. The pair nearly went at each other once again outside the venue, but both of the streamers' bodyguards largely kept the fight from escalating.

This conflict ended with both streamers earning a suspension from Kick, since they livestreamed the entire thing. Instead of looking cool, the fight garnered more ire towards both of the streamers from the internet at large. "Its like watching two middle schoolers fighting over a lunch table seat," quipped one Redditor. Although Doherty isn't the only one at fault in this situation, this particular clash didn't earn him much respect in the eyes of the public.

Jack Doherty has been known to do pretty much anything when encouraged by his viewers, often without any fear of consequences. Views seem to be his primary objective, even in dangerous situations with people close to him. In one specific instance, while riding in a golf cart, Doherty's viewers challenged him to flip the vehicle. Doherty complied, landing the cart on the side where McKinley Richardson — his then-girlfiend, now-wife — was sitting. While he managed to come away with no injuries, McKinley was hurt enough that she had to be brought to the hospital.

Jack Doherty flips a golf cart with his girlfriend McKinley in the cart! 😭 pic.twitter.com/Y5fv8VY3ST

— DramaAlert (@DramaAlert) November 7, 2023

Much like the incident with his McLaren, fans were disappointed to see Doherty prioritizing getting the best shot of the moment, rather than checking on his partner first. This wouldn't be the only time that Jack Doherty came under fire for his behavior towards McKinley, either.

In August 2024, shortly after McKinley and Jack announced their engagement, another traumatic incident occurred when McKinley was apparently robbed in Compton. After streaming for a while in the city streets, Doherty was shocked to find McKinley huddled in their vehicle, crying about the mugging. While McKinley sobbed, Doherty pressed for more information about the robbery. Some fans have criticized Jack for mining the incident for views, while others have doubted the legitimacy of the entire thing.

My girlfriend got robbed in Compton last night at a takeover at 3am... @mckinleyrichx pic.twitter.com/rBvxLBGMPa

— Jack Doherty (@dohertyjackk) August 13, 2024

Whether they believed in it, viewers on both sides were quick to ridicule Doherty. "Dude gonna advertise her social media and his other socials below. How about call the police," shot one X user. Some commenters accused Doherty of trying to paint a poor picture of Compton, while others were frustrated by the fact that he continued filming McKinley while she was clearly distraught. The debate over this stream has never been settled, which truly shows how divisive Doherty is as an internet personality.

Although this isn't the only time Jack Doherty has been disrespectful to authority on stream, fans found the streamer's disrespect for the law to be especially shady in this scenario. While streaming himself driving, the content creator was pulled over by a police officerwho claimed Doherty had been traveling almost 30 MPH above the speed limit in a residential area. The police officer in the video offered to help Doherty figure out what to do next, clearly explaining the ways that he can handle paying off his ticket. When the officer turned to walk away, however, Doherty faked crying, claiming that he'd never pull a stunt like this future — then mimed revving his engine while the officer wasn't looking.

Many were extremely disappointed with Doherty's flippant behavior, with some wondering how he hasn't gotten in bigger trouble. One commenter on X even asked, "Who gave this kid a platform?"

Kick isn't the only place that's given Jack Doherty the boot. His schtick of annoying strangers doesn't work as well when the owner or manager of an establishment can just remove him from the premises. Some of the bigger places to kick him out include Walt Disney World, Universal Studios, and even a cruise ship. Although no reason has been specifically stated for his removal in these cases, it's pretty easy to guess from his track record, despite his protestations. For Universal specifically, Doherty claims he was removed for wearing Mickey Mouse ears, though this isn't a bannable offense in the park. As for the cruise ship incident, an entire group of cruise ship passengers cheered his removal by singing "Na Na Hey Hey Kiss Him Goodbye" as he was left on the shore.

As with many of the previous incidents, a number of viewers were happy to see Doherty banned for his actions. However, some still think he hasn't faced any real consequences. "Let me know when he's arrested possible forever. Not banned from a theme park," commented one Reddit user. That's a harsh response, but it perfectly illustrates just how strong of a reaction Doherty gets from people on the internet.