YouTube personality Darren "IShowSpeed" Watkins has drawn renewed attention after a fan's post about his relationship with Vanessa went viral.
On June 29, 2025, an X user published a detailed thread in the streamer's official X Community, SPEED GANG, analysing his connection with Vanessa and describing themselves as his "number 1 parasocial" fan.
To Darren Watkins: a thread of the girl who truly liked you 🇱🇦💔💌 It’s over now, but you should know Vanessa had feelings for you all along. She never stopped. For months, she dropped hint after hint, hoping you'd notice, but you never did. I’ve gathered them all here for you. pic.twitter.com/1n9KPlgYUk
— ۟ (@wynzmanz) June 29, 2025
The post outlined what the user perceived as romantic milestones in the relationship, including an alleged tattoo and positive support from IShowSpeed’s family. It claimed Vanessa dropped repeated hints of affection and celebrated their early collaborations.
The fan also referenced changes in IShowSpeed's online activity, such as liked posts, claiming it signalled a shift in the relationship and eventual archiving of photos between the two.
The post quickly gained momentum, with over 11.2 million views and 62,000 likes. It ignited widespread discussion about online parasocial dynamics and fan boundaries.
Later the same day, the fan revealed that IShowSpeed had blocked them. In a follow-up post, they pleaded for forgiveness.
While IShowSpeed did not publicly comment, his decision to block the fan appears to speak to the discomfort the post caused.
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