Fuslie Reveals The Extent Of Hurtful GTA RP Fan Messages

Twitch streamer Fuslie is on the up and up. The "Grand Theft Auto" roleplaying aficionado and 100 Thieves member boasts a Twitch following of over 1.2 million fans. That number has risen quickly, showing impressive growth since Fuslie kicked off her career with "League of Legends" back in 2015. One of her current focuses is getting in character as April Fooze, her redheaded "GTA RP" character creation who frequently gets into some illegal activity in Los Santos (and who has released a set of real-life Spotify singles to boot).

In a male-dominated industry, Fuslie was the only woman nominated for The Game Awards Content Creator of the Year award in 2021. She continues to be one of the top female streamers in the field, but unfortunately, that spot comes with its detractors. Even given all of her success and loyal fanbase, Fuslie is often subject to sexist, hurtful messages.

During a recent interview with Refinery29, Fuslie shared her thoughts on her victories, struggles, and everything in between. Life as a streamer has been surreal and thrilling for her, but some of the reactions she's received from the "Grand Theft Auto" community have taken a toll on Fuslie.

Being in the spotlight isn't always easy, especially when it comes to criticism from rude and small-minded viewers. As Fuslie told Refinery29, "I cry from '[GTA] RP' like once a month because I'm just so stressed out by the viewers." This may surprise fans familiar with seeing Fuslie's fun-loving, hilarious presence on camera, but it's a good reminder that even the most confident entertainers have their hard days.

When it gets hard, however, Fuslie is still inspired to go on. After all, she says, many of them are fueled by bigoted ideals. In Fuslie's case, she's often the target of misogyny. In her words, "If I speak out, I'm gonna be told to go to the kitchen and make a sandwich or get off the internet, that I don't belong here or I shouldn't game."

Even though Fuslie has been through her fair share of toxicity online, her love for what she does outweighs the hate. She's even paid her success forward by encouraging young women to get involved in gaming and laugh off the trolls as she does. In fact, hearing from the women she's inspired means a lot to Fuslie: "My favorite comment is from viewers who are like, 'Hey, I was too afraid to use voice comms in my games, but now I see you and your friends, I see all you girls talking, that I started talking in my games." To her, the positivity makes it all worth it. 

Even though the hate can get to be a lot sometimes, Fuslie has her sights set on the bigger picture. As she told Refiner29, "I'll take a little bit of the heat or whatever to make it a more comfortable space for everyone."