PokerStars severs ties with True Geordie amid ongoing Islamophobia controversy
Following backlash over Islamophobic slurs, the poker operator has confirmed it will no longer work with Brian ‘True Geordie’ Davis
PokerStars has announced that it has severed ties with Brian ‘True Geordie’ Davis after the YouTuber made Islamophobic comments in a recent live stream.
The comment was aimed at fellow social media personality Andrew Tate, who recently revealed he had converted to Islam, and the clip of Davis’ comment went viral on Twitter and TikTok.
Davis and Tate have been involved in a long-running spat, with the pair trading verbal blows in recent months.
Tate, who previously presented himself as a Dan Bilzerian-type character, has since converted to Islam. On a recent live stream, when discussing Tate, Davis made Islamophobic comments in relation to Tate’s conversion.
We have terminated our contract with True Geordie with immediate effect. At PokerStars, we are committed to making poker as inclusive and accessible as possible, and do not tolerate any comments or attitudes that don’t align with our inclusive values.
— PokerStars (@PokerStars) November 8, 2022
Davis took to his YouTube channel to apologise for the comment as the backlash grew against him and his co-host Laurence McKenna.
Davis said: “Now when I say it out loud when I’m aware of it, it’s horrendous. It was one of those off-the-cuff remarks that I made in a total lack of thought; all I can say is sorry.”
In response to the ongoing issue, PokerStars stated it had “cancelled its contract with True Geordie with immediate effect”.
PokerStars follows apparel firm Gymshark in cancelling its commercial relationship with Davis.
PokerStars has been working with Davis since 2020 with the Flutter Entertainment-owned operator sponsoring The Showdown.
The Showdown is a live-streamed show of home poker starring Davis, his friends and other social media personalities.
The show was renewed last year, with PokerStars previously lauding its partnership with Davis and the stream regularly featuring in the top trending sections of YouTube and Twitch.