Rooster Teeth hosts Ryan Haywood and Adam Kovic have become embroiled in a controversy surrounding explicit photos they reportedly sent to fans. The Achievement Hunter and Funhaus on-air personalities have been the target of numerous leaks this week, with Haywood also having been accused of unknowingly sending explicit photos to a 17-year-old.
What happened with Rooster Teeth’s Ryan Haywood and Adam Kovic?
Explicit images of Haywood and Kovic leaked online this week, with the images of Haywood having reportedly been sent to Tessa Graves, who claims she was 17 years old at the time of receiving them. Graves explained in a YouTube video that Haywood “did not know” she was 17, and that the Achievement Hunter star thought she was 18 at the time of allegedly sending and receiving the images.
Graves went into further detail about her relationship with Haywood, explaining that the pair had intended to sleep together in a hotel room at PAX, though these plans eventually fell through. However, Graves noted that she had sent and received nude and explicit images from Haywood after meeting him at an event.
Graves also spoke of the power imbalance between Rooster Teeth’s male personalities and their fans. “There was a culture there where if you were lucky to sleep with one of the members … you were given status because of that,” she said. No further allegations were made about the wider Achievement Hunter team.
Graves’ video, ‘The Ryan Haywood Situation,’ can be viewed below:
Kovic was also the target of the leak, with reports circulating that he was the subject of a “catfish” in which an anonymous individual used a porn actress’ images to convince the Funhaus host to share explicit photos and videos with them. These videos include Kovic engaging in sexual acts with his wife, Jess Kovic, with there being claims that Jess was unaware she was being filmed. However, these reports have been unverified.
Kovic released a statement after locking his Twitter account, explaining that he had been the victim of “an unbelievable breach of privacy and peeling back of my life.” However, he also apologized for his actions in relation to those around him, saying: “I’m sorry to my co-workers, my friends, but most importantly, I’m sorry to my wife who I love with all my heart. She has been nothing but good to me, and now she’s having to deal with the mess I’ve created.”
https://twitter.com/RyanTheTwit/status/1313598106081132547
Haywood and Kovic have now announced they will be leaving Rooster Teeth, stepping back from their respective roles at Achievement Hunter and Funhaus. Haywood tweeted that he “never did anything illegal,” but that “the consequences of my actions are mine to deal with” imploring followers to refrain from harassing his family in the process.
Various Rooster Teeth employees have shared their thoughts on the allegations, with Achievement Hunter’s Michael Jones calling it a “hurt and betrayal.” RWBY and Red Vs. Blue voice actor Lindsay Jones spoke of her “overwhelming feelings of repulsion, betrayal, and rage,” while former Funhaus collaborator and actor Rahul Kohli revealed that he had stopped working with Rooster Teeth as a result of Kovic.
“I haven’t been a part of the Funhaus family for over a year and refuse to make any further content with them,” Kohli tweeted. “Blame Adam Kovic and fuck Adam Kovic. Oh and it ain’t got shit to do with nudes.”
Rooster Teeth has announced that it is adjusting its programming as a result of Haywood and Kovic’s dismissals (via Twitter), and both Achievement Hunter and Funhaus have postponed their streaming schedules.
This isn’t the first major incident involving Rooster Teeth. In November 2019, the network’s executive Michael Quinn was arrested over domestic abuse allegations. Quinn was later removed from his position with the company.
