Nearly two years after his unpermitted 2023 Union Square event that descended into mayhem and led to dozens of arrests, YouTube and Twitch personality Kai Cenat says he plans to hold another giveaway in the city — this time with the blessing of Mayor Eric Adams.
Mayor Adams appeared alongside Cenat in a video released Monday, encouraging the 23-year-old Bronx-born influencer to plan his next giveaway “the right way.”
After Cenat, who has millions of followers across social media, announced he would be giving away PlayStation consoles and other electronics in Union Square on Aug. 4, 2023, a massive crowd formed and chaos followed.
Attendees, mostly teenagers, broke windows, climbed on buses, hurled paint cans, and set off fire extinguishers during the headline-making riot. At least 65 people were arrested, including 30 juveniles, and four people were hospitalized.
Cenat was charged with inciting a riot and promoting an unlawful gathering following the event, but the charges were later dropped after he agreed to pay more than $57,000 in restitution and post a public apology online.
“I didn’t want it to be that way, but I’ve learned from it,” Cenat said in the June 23 video. “ And I understand how much influence I have.”
Now, he wants to do it “one more time,” asking Adams if there is a way he can do it again on a “big scale.”
Adams pointed to the high-profile boxing match held in Times Square last month as an example to follow, suggesting Cenat go through the official channels to get permits and coordinate with law enforcement before holding another giveaway.
“Now that you see your influence, you can’t do it on the level you did before, because now you’ve blown up,” Adams said, encouraging Cenat to “get the city in alignment to make sure you can execute the plan.”
“You do it right,” Adams told him, telling the streamer not to be discouraged by the fallout of the 2023 event, “this is your city.”
Cenat told his followers that Adams “had locked in another giveaway” but did not give away any details of when a future event would take place.
The NYC native also used the conversation to raise concerns about policing, specifically referencing fellow streamer Fanum, real name Roberto Gonzalez, who had his Lamborghini temporarily seized after the 2024 Dominican Day Parade in the Bronx.
“He was done wrong,” Cenat said. “And they was (sic) posing with it, like taunting him.”
Asking the mayor if Fanum could receive an apology, Hizzoner said he was unaware of the incident but told Cenat, “Have Fanum call me.”
According to Cenat, the two connected after Adams reached out to the streamer in what seems to be a growing pattern for the mayor, who has recently sought to align himself with high-profile internet personalities.
Last week, the mayor came under fire for hosting controversial streamer Sneako, known for past antisemitic remarks, and model Amber Rose at Gracie Mansion, where he livestreamed with them for over an hour while smoking cigars. Adams later claimed that Sneako had joined the hangout uninvited.
