Dramatized comeback video edits, video interviews as long as feature films, epic-length Instagram reels, recruiting his posse to give him a platform – why won’t Dee Kosh just shut up?
The very mention of his name elicits exactly three types of reactions: one that pretends not to know who he is, one that ardently supports him, and one that is angry that someone like him is still allowed to occupy public platforms and spaces to use his voice.
The specifics of his case have been dissected by plenty of other outlets, so here’s a summary of what we know based on court and police records.
- Dee Kosh, a public figure and social media personality, has been embroiled in legal issues after being convicted of sexual offences involving minors
- According to court and police records, Dee Kosh was charged in August 2021 with five counts of communicating with a person believed to be under 16 for the purpose of obtaining sexual gratification, which is an offense under Section 376C of the Penal Code.
- The charges relate to alleged conversations that took place on Instagram and Snapchat between Dee Kosh and two boys who were 15 years old at the time. Dee Kosh was accused of trying to persuade the boys to engage in sexual activities with him, and of sending them sexually explicit messages and images.
- In May 2022 he pleaded guilty to one charge of offering cash to a minor for sexual services, and to another charge under the Children and Young Persons Act for the attempted sexual exploitation of a young person.
- He also pleaded guilty to a charge under the Films Act for filming himself in 2016 or 2017 engaging in sex acts with a man aged between 23 and 25.
- He was jailed for 32 weeks on Aug. 5, 2022.
Controlling the narrative
Since being released, the former radio DJ and YouTuber has been all sorts of active on social media: relaunching his Instagram presence, releasing a “My Story” video on Rumble (a platform known for hosting alt-right content that YouTube won’t touch), going on podcasts and scoring one of those super long Xiaxue videos where she method acts as a professional interviewer for a few hours.
From the videos and interviews he has done so far, it’s clear that Dee Kosh has some points he wants to drive home to the public. They include:
- He is not a pedophile and is not attracted to kids.
- When he was charged, he did not know that it was illegal to pay or offer to pay someone under the age of 18 for sex.
- He was acting as a ‘sugar daddy’ and transactional sexual services were part of the agreement.
- He had issues with the “statement of facts” in the court records because there were a lot of things he claims not to remember.
There was also that one odd post of him posing in the same shirt he wore when he was arrested. Like, what is the point…?
Basically, he’s been everywhere.
Just this week, Rice Media reported that Dee Kosh and his team have prepared an ‘Interview Agreement’ form for publications and media outlets to acknowledge and sign off on before engaging with him.
The form came to the knowledge of Rice Media when it was sent to them by an anonymous tipster. When they tried to authenticate the form, Dee Kosh chose to “reply” to their queries via ~yet another~ IG video.
Before we get into the terms and technicalities, it is important to note that Dee Kosh claims the form only was sent to media publications that “he didn’t know personally”, later saying that it was his way of protecting himself.
This means – and has been confirmed – that the likes of The Daily Ketchup, Plan B and Xiaxue did not have to sign any agreement.
Why the need for an agreement form?
In the form his team drafted, there were some requirements that are a little bit more arbitrary than usual.
Things like having control of the interview’s final edit certainly stick out a bit. Then there’s the stipulation that the interviewer has to pay him a token fee? Well, I guess moneys have to be made, huh.
One thing is clear – Dee Kosh and his team have been anticipating all the media attention and put together this document to “protect” him.
In his Instagram video about the form, Dee Kosh continues to deny that he was trying to control the narrative with the agreement, saying that he had been candid and “no holds barred” with the interviews he has given.
“I personally don’t see an issue with the agreement. I think it is fair, and it’s not like we are a tyrant looking to control everything,” he said.
At the end of the video he also said that he was “scarred” by the whole incident and will not be doing any more interviews “from now on”.
The fine line between cancel culture and criticism
Honestly, it is what he should have done in the first place.
I think that Dee Kosh should’ve refrained from tooting his own welcome horn on social media post-prison.
After all, this is the same field, space, and industry, that led to him being sent to prison in the first place. Why is he so eager to make his return again, and build up his following with stories on his weight loss and content akin to over-glorifying prison and spokesperson of sorts, vaunting his popularity in prison hosting game shows and singing contests – and most recently, a three-part reel series on “What magazines to buy for people in prison”.
It’s as if the man’s moral compass is stuck in some dingy basement, unable to point him toward basic human decency. He has total disregard for how his actions might affect his victims and others who have been in the same situation. His lack of tact and remorse is almost staggering, leaving me bewildered that he can even claim that he’s the one who is “scarred”.
Some of Dee Kosh’s surprisingly ardent followers cry “cancel culture” when others criticize his post-prison publicity blitz. And yes, in this day and age, even the slightest misstep can land you in hot water. One wrong word, one poorly phrased sentence, and suddenly you’re a pariah, cast out of polite society.
Yet, as much as we may decry cancel culture and its excesses, we cannot deny the power of criticism. We also need to recognize the importance of holding people accountable for the consequences of their actions.
People don’t want to ‘cancel’ Dee Kosh because of an agreement form or because he is a self-proclaimed sugar daddy – it’s because allowing him every opportunity to explain away his crimes can actually put more people in danger, either from him or from his followers who normalize his behavior. Plus, there’s the issue of him inflicting even more trauma on his victims and others who are in similar situations.
It is through criticism that we learn, grow, improve – and move on. It’s a delicate dance for sure, to hold someone accountable while also allowing room for redemption. But at this point, Dee Kosh is just freestyling it (and badly) – and for who, and at what cost?
In a post he put up on IG recently, Dee Kosh dispensed some advice.
Let’s hope he practices what he preached.
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