- CS:GO personality and host, James Banks, posted a lengthy blog post with a slew of damning and severe accusations against Redeye (Paul). The document details events where Redeye punched a fellow member of staff, and more.
The Blog Post
The blog post is extensive and recounts a plethora of accusations and events regarding Paul. James‘ story begins at Gfinity, a massive esports publication, and commerce organization. He recounted that Redeye had phoned James to confront his lackluster recent casting performance at the time. However, James’ detailed that he has Type 1 Diabetes, and was suffering from low blood sugar on top of the pressure of casting a Grand Finals game.
The Truth about Paul ‘Redeye’ Chaloner’s abuse of power verbally & physically in the esports/gaming industry while his company Code Red threaten & blackmail me if I release the information: https://t.co/WAiVRMw9f8
— James Banks 🇺🇦 (@BanKsEsports) June 27, 2020
James’ Psychological Trauma
Despite this, Gfinity had placed James to casting a number of CS:GO events and hosting multiple Star Craft 2 events. Yet Redeye explained that he would “be moving me (James)” because he “wasn’t good enough for either of these roles”. And that if James would not comply, that his career would essentially be over. James reluctantly gave up his position and would end up interviewing for events instead.
James would also detail the immense psychological trauma he experienced from Redeye. He recounts moments where he’d run into him and experience a form of an anxiety attack. Paul would “mock” James while allegedly knowing that he was suffering from mental illness, as he was his employer at the time. He later corroborated this claim and stated that he had Medical Reports that confirmed that his work environment and Paul played a major role in the deterioration of his mental health, to the extent to which James would contemplate suicide.
Physical Assault
A particularly troubling allegation that Paul had physically beat a fellow Gfinity staff member on November 2015 was also highlighted. The victim wished to remain anonymous, but they detailed that Paul had confronted them at their desk, before shoving and punching them “twice in the ribs and once in the stomach”. The executive staff of Gfinity “did not think it was a serious issue”, and excused Paul’s behavior as a form of “burnout”. Paul would then be given a “holiday” as punishment for the event. Fortunately, in 2017, Gfinity’s CEO apologized to the victim via private Twitter DM’s, and they have accepted the apology.
- Read: All Esports News
“Narcissistic Behavior”
James added that Paul had a history of being unprofessional in the workplace. Mentioning 3rd party recounts that he had made “inappropriate conversations and sexual innuendos with female staff members and the makeup artists”. Furthermore, Paul would pretend to being the mastermind behind the “puppet” skit at The International 2016 during an afterparty. And in some strange form of poetic justice, would be exposed after mistakenly trying to swoon the wife of the actual creator of the skit.
Silencing Journalists
Despite all of this, there is one major allegation that is to be taken very seriously. It’s that Paul had used his position and influence to silence Journalists in the industry. The TI6 story is an example of one of the stories that he had essentially blocked from ever getting published. Allegedly, James’ mentioned that Paul and Code Red (an esports consultancy and talent agency) “stopped journalists and publications telling this story by threatening them as well, despite us having evidence”. Whether or not this is true, we simply don’t have information on the extent to which he manipulated Journalism. It’s noteworthy to know that the event of Paul physically assaulting a Gfinity staff member is no-where to be seen.
Paul’s Response
On top of that, James would mention that Paul and his affiliated company Code Red directly tried to stop or interfere with his career should he go public with any damning information. The blog post contains a more extensive take on the whole situation, which again, can be found here. Paul had responded to the accusations, stating that he is seeking legal counsel and would not comment at this time. Please note that this is an ongoing story, and new developments may have risen at the time of its writing.
Response to Accusations by James Banks – https://t.co/lhdgAnv1x6
— Redeye 🍊 (@PaulChaloner) June 27, 2020
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