How Stampy Handled the L For Lee Controversy Perfectly

[@JerooMinecraft]

My brand new hardcore minecraft episode has released, it took months to make so if you have time please check it out and let me know any feedback:) kzbin.info/www/bejne/jIvSpoGlhLasmbc

[@ScralledCentral]

So what did he do?

[@cheems6193]

Dam I was 6to 7 yrs old and I can say he really did it good 👍

[@tobihudiat]

@@ScralledCentral He likes children too much...

[@Mistert441]

@@ScralledCentral nothing actually

[@cyndaquilisacommunist3104]

Im really wondering where is the evidence or are you just a another annoying youtuber tryna make profit off of others pain and grief

[@sqaishey]

This is such a lovely video & i totally agree: Stampy should be highly praised for how it was handled! TRUTH IS - we had no idea what was going on until it all came to light in the media, we were mortified… it was kept from us until it was confronted. We had a lot of conversations behind the scenes and it was always pointing to an ending for the Lee Bear charecter in Lovely World. I was actually already playing Lee consistently, as over the years the person in question was busy with education before everything happened! I want to clear up that it was 100% Stampy’s idea to remove Lee Bear from the story. Don’t believe anything else… he wanted to protect you all and this was a heartbreaking moment. Stampy did amazing (i’m bias but he is an incredible, kindhearted man who deserves so much love especially for this situation) Polly, Fizzy and William (& HTT and Veeva Dash) are all played by a mixture of people these days. No 1 person representing each. Their personalities come from their written designs by Stampy. We just play the part. Barnaby plays himself. thanks again for the video & all the wonderful comments. this is the first and last time I will ever comment on this 💛

[@sqaishey]

TRIGGER WARNING: assault (sorry… not very cheerful this part so please do not read if you get anxious about these topics) I want to reiterate that we only got the truth out of Lee AFTER we confronted him… When more allegations came out, he denied them (to our faces!) then ultimately back-tracked and told us the truth. we trusted him and that trust was truly broken. then for him to lie, try to profit off it (using stampy in tags, keemstar, all that stuff) and STILL not take accountability is grotesque & unforgivable. we feel deeply for the victims involved, even though this was many years ago now. i’ve been wanting to speak up for a while but been too scared. also, you were all so young during this time, it didn’t feel right.

[@Majungus]

@@stampycatThank you for all the amazing memories Mr. Stampycat

[@badlandz6200]

Thank you so much Stamps, I know for me personally the way you handled it definitely protected me from the truth at that age, thanks for everything 🧡🤍

[@rylyyxy]

Thank you for speaking up about this

[@thecallumvibes]

Thank you for explaining what really happened and thank you Stampy for making his departure as good as possible for the kids watching back then. You two are amazing

[@joshnestor1497]

The fact that stampy sheltered us from the ugly truth when it happened makes him better than most modern parents today

[@emilydavidson8844]

Yea but L for Lee was innocent

[@joshnestor1497]

@@emilydavidson8844 no he wasnt

[@emilydavidson8844]

@@joshnestor1497 yes he was

[@joshnestor1497]

@@emilydavidson8844 he sexually assaulted his classmate and sent nude pics to his aunt

[@emilydavidson8844]

@@joshnestor1497 no he didn’t, those were all lies with no proof

[@thesuperdaniels737marioshow]

I understand why he had to, I'm glad I never knew about this as a child, or else I've would have been heart broken, but that does make me wonder? What would have happened if the rumors of Lee Bear never happened and what would have happened if Lee never left the series?

[@griffinholmes8024]

We wouldn’t get characters such as Veeva dash Willam beaver Polly reindeer and fizzy elephant

[@Stibly]

The series probably would've been popular for way longer. Idk about other characters though.

[@funvideofan1625]

@The Super DanielS737 Yeah, I remember I was 9 at the time, and I thought he was going to come back at some point, but than it got to the point where I stopped watching stampy in 2016

[@JerooMinecraft]

I reckon stampys videos would have been quite different. His views took a big hit when l for Lee left so maybe he'd still be on of the biggest youtubers??

[@locomotivetrainstation6053]

@@griffinholmes8024 those helpers would be added controversy or not. Squid and squaishey for example are playing behind the players body. So polly reindeer in an episode could be multiple other people. So there won't be an issue of not having a person online

[@gamingwithdawg6516]

Stampy is such a sheltering and kind soul. He couldn’t have handled the situation any better and he let go of lee in the perfect way. What lee did was horrible but as a young kid not knowing the truth he was my favorite character. It would have been devastating knowing what actually happened

[@kentuckyfriedpepespeaks1550]

I never knew about what happened until much later, I just assumed that the guy behind Lee bear simply moved on to other things

[@bungiecrimes7247]

What lee did? it was never proven tho...

[@ToxicSnake48]

Lee did nothing wrong lmao

[@ImInYourHouse777]

@@ToxicSnake48 victims: are we just a joke??????

[@penguinexpert6581]

@@ImInYourHouse777 yeah, they are. Because we don’t know if there were actually any

[@chiaseed425]

Honestly I'll always thank stampy for how he handled the Lee controversy, when Lee left I was only 10 and in the past had already been a victim of CSA and grooming so for the most part I would've understood a bit more than the other kids and that would've torn me apart, Lee was my favourite character on SLW so had i known what he had done I'd have been crushed Luckily I learnt the truth when I was around 15, by this point Lee was a distant memory so it didn't hurt as much... I do still thank stampy though for letting us say goodbye to Lee on good terms, leaving us with a final memory I'll cherish forever even though I'm now 17 and don't watch stampy as much.

[@Topsealguy]

Stop looking for attention

[@JessJ_698]

@@Topsealguy bro shut up

[@skraxel]

@@Topsealguy ? how is he looking for attention

[@ForgotMyPasswd000]

@@Topsealguy No personal stories and opinions related to the video allowed only serious literary critiques like you're in a debating society

[@josephcurzon-tompson4647]

@@ForgotMyPasswd000 man destroyed him using big words

[@mintagenart]

I also like how helpers where handled in current episodes, now they are fictional characters played by unknown actors. Not only does this avoid stuff like this, but it also allows for long term story telling with the helpers.

[@ElfsArt24]

Squashie plays Fizzy, but the other 2 are actors, yes.

[@ElfsArt24]

I also like the idea that Stampy's videos are a business now

[@Zion_k]

Nah not rlly it felt nice how it was before, I understand why but I feel like How it was before was better

[@ericyoutube77]

I miss 2013 and 2012 when stampys videos weren’t fake, now they are so fake and not entertaining

[@marshspy]

@@ericyoutube77 you’re also older, things change dude

[@Lotr2987]

Aside from how Stampy managed this situation, The thing I really like about Stampylonghead and Iballisticsquid, is that they're both really honest and friendly people, they can be a bit entertaining and funny in an appropriate way, they are able to make videos for most age groups and they generally now almost never to try encourage or force us to subscribe Their videos are decent, but also relatively simple, but also not boring. That's what I really like about Stampy and Squid. You just don't see many KZbinrs like them now, modern content creators are just not the same anymore. In fact, the chances of us seeing another creator like Stampy or Squid are small, we will never see another creator like them. There's no denying they used to swear and do some silly things, we get that. There's no denying that we've grown up, and that they're video styles may be cringy to some people, we get that. Nowadays, there's starting to be more and more people and creators who are always trying to make or force us to like subscribe, doing and saying inappropriate, weird, and dumb stuff to try and garner attention. And I just can't be bothered with Tik Tok, it's just too much for me to bare. There's too much weird stuff on there that makes no sense, and other weird showoff stuff that has just been done for the sake of garnering all the attention. Stampy and Squid (and some others) have made many video's that are relatively simple (didn't have to be the most entertaining in the world) but still relatively entertaining, they never force us to like and subscribe. They're two KZbinrs I really think deserved their play buttons the most.

[@sullyhollister593]

Whole essay

[@kekeandtofo]

This needs more likes!

[@Lotr2987]

@@kekeandtofo It's probably not going to get many likes. Massive comments like this don't always get many likes. But basically yeah, there is never going to be another creator like Stampylonghead and IballisticSquid, it's just not going to happen. Modern content creators today are just not the same anymore, Some of them don't even last that long at the height of fame before they go into a downfall, some may return to the height of fame after a downfall but then it doesn't last long before they go into a downfall once again. Stampy and Squid lasted a good amount of time at the height of fame and raised a generation. They created a lot of content that a lot of their viewers still look back at after years.

[@Yo1chii]

q

[@casamity6755]

if you want some modern youtubers making minecraft content in somewhat the same vein, i’d recommend grian and mumbojumbo. their videos arent quite the same level of simplicity as stampy’s but i enjoy their content for very similar reasons - they feel like real friends, they have fun and they have some really creative ideas for their builds! they’re also completely kid friendly so their humour isn’t edgy or inappropriate which can be quite refreshing. stampy and squid’s particular style of lets play commentary was certainly a specific vibe we’ll probably never see again but griand and mumbo are the next best thing imo. check them out!

[@BigAirr.]

the fact that his send off worked perfectly and i never new about the controversy… what an incredible human being

[@melitopiia4730]

@WizardCrafterz I know that you're trying to spread awareness, but what does this have to do with the original comment? They only called it a controversy, which doesn't imply anything being proven or not

[@dreamer_rowan6499]

@@melitopiia4730 my guess is it’s a copy and paste to make it easier to reply to everyone. But I definitely agree they could have edited it some.

[@IamOregano]

exactly bro. i remember this episode and being like "aww man he's not coming back?" but then when i got a little older and heard what had really happened: i was glad that Stampy handled it the way he did. now granted i was always an older viewer. when the Lovely World let's play started i was around 8-9 years old, so by the time this episode came out i was probably 11-12 years old. so if i had known what really happened THEN i probably would have understood. but i didn't find out until i was probably 14 maybe 15 when i could REALLY understand the severity of the situation. but my point is: Stampy handled it like a champ, and i am grateful for that (sorry about the rant lol).

[@boop53]

It makes sense that stampys current helpers (polly, fizzy, william) are all controlled by stampy and his close friends, as that way there would be no situations with people like Lionmaker or L for Lee

[@seishonagon8468]

Lee isn't a creep--

[@matt_gachaandgaming]

Lionmaker is thi

[@sullyhollister593]

@@seishonagon8468 do you not know what he did bruh

[@apurplekitkat]

Ohhhhh. I can't believe it took me this long to figure out why Stampy's helpers are all original characters now. It's to avoid situations such as lionmaker and lee in the future. I miss seeing other players' actual gamertags like iBallisticSquid and Sqaishey, but it's a smart decision going forward

[@SuperCookie64]

@@sullyhollister593 Do you? Because he sure as hell didn't do what Lionmaker did. Plus, he was about 14 when this supposedly happened.

[@JimmyDean59]

It’s quite interesting seeing the difference between how Lionmaker handed his situation and how Lee handled his. Lionmaker made a massive stink about everything and Lee just disappeared.

[@Myne1001]

Or Bashur, screeching at the top of his lungs "STOP CALLING ME A FREAKING PEDOPHILE!!!" The fact of the matter is very few people who become KZbinrs/Twitch streamers etc. have the emotional maturity to handle things like this. That's why e-celeb drama has become so rampant as well as very profitable. True professionals know how to handle drama in a calm and professional way. Very important when your core audience is children/young people too.

[@emilydavidson8844]

@@Myne1001 rip bashur tho

[@darkousdragon1166]

@@Myne1001 i don't think that's completely fair on Bashir he tried his best and wasn't it a maturity thing he was pushed every until he hit a mental breaking point which if most people was in his situation they would as well

[@invictus_delta]

@@darkousdragon1166 also supposedly after his court rulings he was taken to some like psychological correction and he was told "you don't belong here" i believe the age difference was out of legal boundaries but morally it was a different story

[@bungiecrimes7247]

@@Myne1001 I'd love to see you buckle and snap under the same weight it would so satisfying.

[@Lechgang]

Stampy handled this the best he could. He's an absolutely fantastic entertainer and role model for children. I'm glad kids get to grow up with Stampy.

[@imselfaware419]

One of the few people that say: "what about the kids" and actually means it.

[@Lechgang]

@WizardCrafterz I never said anything about whether it was true or not. All I said was that Stampy handled things the best he could have. Maybe don't jump to conclusions, okay?

[@Darthwgamer]

@WizardCrafterz You should be spamming it where people are actually talking about it

[@lynncameron8100]

@WizardCrafterz no offense but i don’t care lol. idk about you but if i hear about someone messing around with kids, true or not, im staying away from them. People don’t just say that stuff without a reason. there’s probably a lot of things we will never know. but i’d rather defend the alleged victims then a potential predator.

[@trippieleaks2631]

@@lynncameron8100 Agreed but you also gotta take into consideration that sometimes the victims are just faking it and then an innocent person ends up in prison

[@Some-guy-on-the-internet]

If I remember correctly, I think it was Lee himself who chose to leave the series so as to not damage Stampy's reputation and in the meantime someone else played the role of Lee Bear. In the days leading up to Lee Bear's official departure, Stampy's about page on his channel said that someone else was acting as Lee Bear in Lee's absence. EDIT: As most of us now know, this is false. Lee lied about the situation and it would be a while before Sqaishey would step in to tell us what really happened behind the scenes.

[@NovaBoi7]

yeah thats true

[@Mistert441]

Yes and no: Stampy retracted the thing about lee being played by someone else. In the same statement where he explains what actually happened, he says that he was controlling the character all the way through his last appearance.

[@moseptyagami606]

He shouldn’t have hurt kids then, and he wouldn’t have had to leave.

[@mason4163]

@@moseptyagami606 there’s no evidence of him hurting any kids

[@mikadosannoji553]

@@moseptyagami606 there were no kids involved

[@HyperHimes]

The reason why I love the way how Stampy handled this was because it focused more around the series than the controversy. For example, if you all remember Blues Clues, then you should remember the sad moment when Steve left the show, only to be replaced by Joe. In the lore of the show, Steve left to go to College. However in reality, it was mainly to move on to bigger and better things. Usually taking the real concept isn't usually fitting for a kids show (Even though it's ironic because you can say that it sounds similar to going to College to participate in bigger and better careers) and doing it in the style they showed was more fitting. With Stampy's Lovely World, it's a series usually meant for kids to watch and have fun watching. No one at that young of an age should be exposed to what dark things someone has done behind closed doors. The kids should be focusing on the show, laughing and having fun whilst the people who work on it make sure to keep everything in check for both the audience and the people working on the show.

[@Frogboyaidan]

Perfect comparison

[@thememeqween]

I agree with you Hyper. Surprising seeing you here.

[@pukacup]

I didn't expect to see you here

[@christianwright7581]

A bit of a correction on the Blue's Clues thing, Steve left because he was going bald, on top of what you said.

[@PhysicallyAwake]

I agree with you completely, but in my opinion, the way you worded it is weird weirdly put.

[@Destinylover14]

Stampy is one of the most purest and kind people on youtube, he may not have his popularity anymore but he made it clear that it doesn't bother him, he definitely deserves more fame and would be brilliant for the cesspit that is youtube kids, as in that his content would be miles better to watch than any other video on youtube kids.

[@a.arnold1413]

I remember being a kid watching that video. I was kind of bummed that L for Lee was leaving but thought it made sense and had no questions. Looking back Stampy really did handle the situation perfectly credit to him.

[@ETHAN-is3li]

I also agree. I was 13 when that happened, now I’m 21, so I would have a better understanding on this now than I would’ve at the time.

[@ThatCatByTheStreet-ln2yc5we7d]

this is why sometimes lying is not bad. so we don't tell 7-year-olds "Hey, this guy might have R@ped CHILDREN. like no.

[@BundaDestroyer590]

He’s was just so great he saved us from learning what lee did when we were all kids and he sheltered us from these things like he was a parent to us all I friggin owe these man like 20 fathers day cards

[@ElfsArt24]

@bobb yes but from all the comments I've seen clearly the people who didn't need to know at the time didn't see those comments

[@justeliashere]

There's no evidence Lee "did" anything. He is still innocent. I feel bad reading comments like these bc gossip and assumptions just destroyed Lee's whole internet presence...

[@Cashcorn]

It's been a while, but I think you've been misinformed. From what I remember Lee was innocent and he himself was a minor at the time but the rumors were spreading and Lee didn't want to ruin Stampy's reputation, so he removed himself from the series.

[@BundaDestroyer590]

@WizardCrafterz alright then there is no evidence of it but until proven guilty I will be neutral

[@circa134]

Wasn’t there DNA evidence?

[@cking4869]

Stampy was like the young Internet's afterschool teacher that you always loved seeing. He made a whole story for us when he really didn't have to. Modern SMPs wish they could live up to Stampy lore

[@mamahanjiishere8501]

I actually remember this episode but didn't know the real reason why he was kicked out. I didn't even know the L for Lee controversy. Stampy sheltered us so well, he is truly amazing.

[@Mistert441]

I don’t think he did anything actually…? Allegations were inconsistent (people say pedophile, jail, r*pist even, and some more complicated stories about less extreme offenses), but one of the allegations hit drama alert. I haven’t found evidence to suggest any kind of misconduct, and the allegations actually vary from conjecture to just bold-face lies (i.e. purposefully misleading video titles for clickbait, which spreads rumors when people read the title without watching the video). You would need to really dig to find a credible source with an actual story, and by that point there would be confirmation bias. Lee actually made a video (with a more in-depth statement in the description for obvious reasons) where he claims that all of the allegations were made by content creators with no connections to his life and an incentive to capitalize on his controversy (which was also slanderous). He basically says that nobody knows what his real life is like, and that he really just left the lovely world for his own mental health because of a breakup. This is the story that checks out the most, as stampy clarified in his own descriptions that Lee left because of personal issues. Always go with the most logical answer, especially in situations like this where we don’t know anyone that was involved personally. p.s. If content creators really were/are slandering Lee with buzzwords, this video is one of them. Note how even the channel creator couldn’t tell you what Lee actually did…

[@asdfoifhvjbkaos]

@@Mistert441 how could he even be a pedophile if he was 16 at the time

[@datingwiafusexclubdatingwiDOKI]

One day we all should become like them sure well what fun will that be soon the Darkside will grow far more powerful, more powerful than the dogmatic few of the Jedi Jedi HAHAHAHAHAHAHA

[@Thoomas2001]

As far as I've been able to read online it was never actually proven he did any of the things he was accused of and at some point I've heard people say Lee and Stampy are still friends. Even despite that though, Stampy handled the situation extremely well. I remember seeing a disclaimer in his descriptions about how his helpers are not always played by the people they're supposed to be representing and then finding out about it through a bit of research. While I've always taken it with a grain of salt due to the lack of evidence, I do remember really respecting how well this was done.

[@Mistert441]

I completely agree. I still have yet to find actual evidence from a credible source, and it’s sad that so many people accepted rumors as truth. Lee is just a person, and apparently a lot of the allegations were escalated or just made up. What bothers me the most isn’t just the potential slander, but the fact that so many kids were exposed to that language and that part of life just because some content creators wanted to capitalize on a controversy that no one can really seem to detail.

[@Damian-cilr2]

wouldnt be surprised,not much proof any of the accusations are true as far as i know.

[@GhostBrian]

Yeah, I don’t think that there is any reputable evidence against Lee

[@officialtoddhoward69]

You guys are joking, right?

[@Thoomas2001]

@@officialtoddhoward69 I've only heard there were accusations, never heard anything about evidence. If there is any, by all means, tell me where the source is, but I have never found any.

[@JerooMinecraft]

The story of L For Lee leaving Stampy's Lovely World. Big shoutout to stampy for being such a big part of peoples' childhoods, this situation he dealt with really shows how much he cares about his audience and it is really nice to see that on KZbin! Thanks for watching, I hope you liked the video and remember to subscribe so you can catch me in my next video :)

[@jujival2092]

I grew up watching stampy When Lee left I thought he would have this epic comeback and be back in Stampy's videos, obviously I was too young to understand the situation at hand, and I'm glad Stampy did this scripted video of Lee leaving, because if his younger audience back then really knew what truly happened I think it would cost a bad image for Stampy's videos and trauma for the younger audience.

[@sirvilhelm3569]

Shame kids nowadays are growing up with low tier KZbinrs like Dream, Stampy would also be superior

[@Somewhere_Bagel]

the amount of effort, care, and love Stampy put into his videos for such a long time is so impressive. I dont think any other youtuber even compares to it. We really are lucky to have a guy who just genuinely enjoys making something that others enjoy. This dude is just, a walking W.

[@thepaintedpixel1541]

Im 18 and graduated highschool a couple days ago. I still watch stampy. I think its sweet that he protected us when we were children.

[@sistoasty9911]

Stampy is an amazing and creative soul. I still watch his videos from time to time, even though I’ve outgrown his content. He is so kind, and was always so careful with us as children. I wish he was as relevant now as he was then, but I’m glad he still had support :)

[@toadboy4]

Stampy is an amazing person in general I think, something tells me in his voice that he couldn’t hurt a fly, that he’s just too innocent to

[@PonandCon9025]

Stampy is literally the most caring and pure person on the internet nowadays

[@indodinoyoutube]

I honestly wasn't aware of this until now. I don't remember how old I was when Lee left but I remember being a bit sad. Now I fully understand why it had to happen. It doesn't make it sting any less though. But I also really enjoy the series as it is today, and honestly I wouldn't change a thing. I'm still an avid Stampy watcher despite being an adult 😅 and I couldn't be happier to take a break and enjoy what little wholesome and pure content is left in the world.

[@Toaster_76]

From what I've seen it's just accusations and there is no concrete evidence of it actually happening. LforLee uploaded a video saying where he was and why he left

[@indodinoyoutube]

@@Toaster_76 Hopefully the rumors aren't true. But you never know these days.

[@Mistert441]

@IndoDINO this happened several years ago, times were different then

[@shopnil4]

I remember first hearing about why L for Lee left and was so heart broken, but also pretty happy how Stampy handled it

[@PercDestroyer]

What happened?

[@Mistert441]

Some allegations were tossed around and landed at drama alert somehow. There was no evidence for anything that people claimed, which seemed to be different depending on who was telling the story. No “victims” (sometimes there were victims) were ever identified or came out to address anything, and this was all happening after Lee was going through a breakup and lost motivation to continue. The allegations never affected his real life, but he was really worried about how children were being exposed to heavy subject matter, so he decided to step away. It was still Lee playing the character in the final video, and he just wanted to be a good friend to stampy and to protect the kids that watched him. It’s very telling that not even this video can tell you any details about the “situation,” which was really just an escalation of content that was capitalizing on a manufactured controversy. Kind of sad, really…

[@K75-d5n]

@WizardCrafterz 1. stop spamming 2. stop spamming under comments that arent even related to what youre saying

[@acidiccatwithapassion]

I remember being very young and watching this episode and I have to say he did really well covering it up. Little me didn't suspect a thing of Lee

[@lunacxx1330]

they really did deal with this cleverly & I still barely knew about it until a couple years ago so he did a good job to make sure his audience wasn’t exposed to this before they were ready to learn

[@invertedLOL]

I think this was around when I stopped watching Stampy’s Lovely World (I still watched some of his other series) and I remember I never found out the real reason why Lee left, but looking back on it now, it makes sense. It’s kind of bitter sweet, because after this, Stampy really never had real people helpers in his lovely world. Sure he had Sqaishy on a few times and he still did plenty of collaborating elsewhere, his lovely world remained mostly characters. William Beaver. Polly Reindeer and Fizzy Elephant are all just characters. I think this sadly had the effect on Stampy of, if this ever happened again, it would get harder and harder to cover up. But I think that’s why I stopped watching Lovely World, it stopped being friends just goofing off, it became more of a show. I get it now, what with that being the age when Minecraft died off, and a significant amount of Minecraft KZbinrs left were jumping ship or getting wrapped up in controversy. Suffice to say, Stampy made a choice that ultimately made his Lovely World impervious to controversy. Off topic a little, but it’s weird, after all these years I finally came back to Stampy, or Joseph, through The Bonus Points, a channel which feels like it’s just Stampy’s passion project, he and a close friend goofing off, the same reason I fell in love with Lovely World as a kid. Anyway, long comment done, I just felt the need to say this.

[@amyyaku5022]

It's sad that even after so many years allegations that were proven false don't get wiped away. Meanwhile there are people who have been proven to do these things but we never talk about them.

[@ghostthegreat111]

i was crying almost this whole video. To think that then when many of us were way younger we were watching such a bright soul like stampy. Now a lot of these kids that are our age when we were watching stampy, around 7 or 8, are now watching these bums with huge egos. Stampy will forever be one of the greatest youtubers ever. Along with greats like Mark, Jack, Pewdiepie, Vanoss, dantdm, the rest of the old mc youtubers, and Coryxkenshin. People that have stuck to there roots and never went crazy with the money. People with great hearts.

[@Alexjk425]

I thought Stampy said that Lee denied the allegations but willingly stepped away from Stampy's lovely world and youtube as a whole so as to not tarnish Stamp's reputation. I could be wrong though, I don't know all the details of the situation

[@Mistert441]

Yeah you’re right. To this day, there is no evidence that he did anything wrong, and the stories about him aren’t consistent, either. Really just an unfortunate situation, and he had his own problems that he was dealing with so he stepped away. You don’t know all the details because no one does. Not even the guy that made this video. The most logical conclusion is that Lee is innocent, so that is what should be accepted as truth.

[@cyndaquilisacommunist3104]

it's just youtubers milking rumours for profit there is zero physical proof he did any of it, he left the world so that stampy could be successful and stopped making videos due to a hard breakup and honestly it's surprising people are still making videos of it even after 4 years

[@drewgraham]

​@@Mistert441 While I mostly agree with you, he also only ever partially denied allegations against him. He also admitted he made mistakes and that people can change. So I am not going to assume what he did, but based on his own words I am going to believe that he did do something that he shouldn't have. So it is definitely somewhere in the middle imo.

[@thesourcerasus]

@@Mistert441 he was identified by DNA… how is that not evidence

[@AshlynxisAsh]

Pretty sure there was dna evidence but ok

[@kaileywesseler1959]

This happened when I was 10 so like target audience for the fake story in the video. But months before that I noticed something off about Lee and I noticed he was being played by other people and that Stampy had started putting a disclaimer in the description saying how sometimes his helpers are played by other people, so I was already suspicious. And then when this video came out I remember just searching up why he actually left because I didn't believe the storyline and then I found out the real reason anyways. But good on Stampy for handling it so well.

[@ilikeminecraftgaming9331]

Same,I remember thinking,”What other people can he be talking about?”And got suspicious so I started digging.Suffice to say when I found out why 10-11 year old me was very disappointed in L For Lee.But I do think he handles the situation very well,younger me was just to curious for my own good XD.

[@SuperCookie64]

Lee was 14 when it supposedly happened. Plus, there's zero evidence.

[@takebacktheholyland9306]

Hearing this story 5 years after the fact, Shook me 100% because by then I've lost interest in stampy and had since moved on to more drama documentary oriented channels, It really goes to show how us viewers took retro Minecraft KZbinrs (like stampy, tdm and even popularmmos) for granted because of the majority of minecraft youtubers now (with the exception of a few) that have now aren't remotely close to being mature and prudent when it comes to these situations

[@mikab.4838]

I'm glad stampy covered it up in this way. I was so sad when I saw that Lee had to leave and I would've been even more heartbroken if I found out what happened. I'm glad I learned about it many years later

[@WizardCraft-ox4pe]

I came across this video in my recommended feed and I felt obligated to say THE L FOR LEE RUMORS WERE FALSE. This was a known fact and even Lee had even addressed the situation describing what had happened. While some people may not believe me, I figured I'd put this out here since this was public information for a long time, pretty much since he had left, and I see a lot of comments not really addressing the fact the rumors were false and basically slanderous.

[@katie_pkfr]

Wasn’t Lee also only like 14 or 15 at the time that the rumours were being spread around?

[@WizardCraft-ox4pe]

@@katie_pkfr I do not remember sadly, but his video should say

[@lvncee]

Gotta love false accusations. And apparently when the Kwite thing came around this year NO ONE had learned their lesson from any of this.

[@Danig1206]

I remember seeing the episode at the age of 10, and being pretty sad. My sister and I loved Lee! 7 years later this is the first I’m hearing of this, and I’m shocked and horrified about the situation, yet proud of and pleased with Joseph for handling this so well. I would have never known😮

[@Gety333]

I never found out about Lee till know and I remember watching that “Bye Bear” video 😭

[@UselessCat]

I didn’t even watch stamps, but this still hurt so much because you can just feel how much everything hurt

[@EPSILON-35]

I originally never knew why Lee left Stampy's series, and when I tried to find out, I just couldn't find anything. I never even saw this episode, so this video has cleared a lot of mystery for me.

[@hobojoe4910]

L for lee left on his own accord to save Stampys reputation he confirmed this in a video he made.

[@siicoviiciouse1629]

Stampy is probably one of if not the only minecraft youtuber to avoid any major controversy including ex’s gfs grooming etc he really is one of the best youtubers on this platform and did a great job raising the young generation back in the day where he had to be so careful around with what he said or did and for that I congratulate stampy

[@Dashie04]

CaptainSparklez has also managed to avoid controversy

[@cadburysfreddo72]

I remember hearing about this drama when I was younger, and I’m sure in videos during the controversy it said something in the description about how that the person playing Lee wasn’t actually Lee because of personal issues or smth.

[@flashdawnx]

@TheGreatEggKing it was actually still Lee, there was a video where he accidentally was disconnected from the game and it said “L for Leeeeee x left the game”

[@ToastTheThe]

@@flashdawnx yo it's the spongebob man

[@Fadedagent64]

the fact that now im learning about this is astonishing. this whole time i actually thought lee just left for the same reason they gave in his video. i remember this video vivdly especially the part where they just played their game and the cake recipe. stampy truly made my childhood and was the eventual catalyst of why i got into minecraft in the first place. i salute you stampy.

[@kittenpaw1023]

If I remember correctly Lee was falsely accused of doing those things or it wasn’t proven. I remember looking into it and finding he was only around 15 when it happened and left so Stampy could keep a good reputation

[@misterbickis]

Honestly this world is so fucked for men. It's guilty until proven innocent in today's day and age. Same situation with Andrew Tate. Guilty until proven innocent.

[@kittenpaw1023]

@@misterbickis Where did Andrew Tate come from? He’s genuinely not a great person in total

[@zacharyriley4561]

@gamingpotato Some people think that the charges of human trafficking against him are false because people don't like his rampant sexism. Frankly I hate Tate and would be glad to see him in jail but if they're false I could see him walking.

[@Sunny92809]

Lee did actually harass two women on social media and got arrested for it. He seems to be a better person now though, having learnt from his mistakes as an toxic incel teen.

[@Kiwi-bq3fg]

@@Sunny92809 I’ve never heard of getting sent to jail for harassment on social media, if that were true you see, a lot of people would be in jail lol

[@alanisisamess8977]

I always remembered stampy, but hearing the name hit the target again... a whole wave of forgotten memories rushed back

[@Cosmic_Finn]

I miss L for Lee but it’s like how if you had someone what you knew and were really close too and then they became so toxic, ik he did bad things but I still can’t help but miss him a little :( and speaking of stampy when a lot of people left his lovely world I went on to focus on other creators like Dantdm and stuff but soon I will be rewatching!!

[@Ciaran.Digance]

The subtle things I always noticed about Stampy, in comparison to other KZbinrs now. No 30 second sponsorship ads and I can't remember one time where he's taken a moment to ask to like the video or subscribe. I think he's one of the few that you can genuinely tell that he cares more about the people watching over how many subs or views he has. Truly kind and humble soul, I'm glad I got to grow up watching SLW

[@bricklingtonlego]

Was wishing Lee and Squid turned up for the finale just for maybe the last scene of them walking off into the sunset with all the other helpers and mobs.

[@xotwod3254]

Damn yeah why hasn’t squid shown up for the finale

[@bricklingtonlego]

@@xotwod3254 Ikr, he is an OG yet I haven't seen him for years despite him being one of the most prominent.

[@ontos8914]

@@xotwod3254busy with real life

[@gammingart1012]

I remember a few years after LEE had left, my mom had told me about this. I definitely was too young to understand it at the time. But im always glad stampy handled it the way he did. He truly was an amazing role model and i still love watching his videos, and rewatching some of the old ones too. Glad i grew up with stampy being so caring for all of us kids! thank you for an amazing childhood stampy!

[@stone21022]

This video gave me chills like no other. Just seeing the scene of L for Lee leaving made my body temperature drop to what felt unhealthily low for several minutes. I have no real memory of the video but I felt such a strong sense of recognition like I was rediscovering a suppressed memory. I feel more at peace and acceptance about people in my life that were similar to Lee in a way of hiding the true dark side of them. It feels like stitching a gaping wound. It's now able to heal but it will take time and it will leave a scar, but a one that I'm not afraid to show. That was a little dark, but honest.

[@kiwimk7]

i remember when this situation came to light, i was just about 9 at the time and didnt understand any of the words that people were using to explain the situation, i didnt understand it at all. but im 17 now and of course i understand it, and it makes me feel incredibly relieved that sqaishey and stampy protected kids like me from the truth as we were all much too young to understand any of it, too young to have to know about something as awful as that.

[@AnAverageSandwich]

I grew up watching stampy, he was probably the first ever Minecraft youtuber I watched and I was about 7 (guessing) watching his quite early on videos to then some place in the hundreds and when I watched the Bye Bear video I didn't even know what had actually happened until literally 1 year ago (I am now doing flipping GCSE's) when my friends told me in a conversation about like the old youtubers we use to watch. I think it was a really good send off and that's why Stampy is still one of my favourite youtubers/mcyts even though I rarely watch him anymore :]

[@rinwhittney5039]

I remember seeing it and having no idea about the rumors, Stampy has had such a massive impact on my life even 9 years later I still remember how I learned about minecraft through him and watching his videos with my siblings. His videos are so nostalgic for me even if I don't watch him any more I don't think I'll ever forget how much he changed my life. I feel the same was about Stampy's lovely world and the how to kill the enderdragon series the same way I think people who grew up with shows like dDrake and Josh and the amanda show feel about those

[@kylerrr7509]

I never really understood why Lee left as a kid. He was my favorite character.

[@idiotrat2698]

i remember when l for lee left, i was young and very excited for the new stampy upload, but when he had to suddenly leave i genuinely cried because i didn't know about anything he had done at the time, it broke my heart having to see him leave stampy was very mature about the situation, and honestly i'm glad about how he handled it, i was previously a victim of csa and a few other things, and if i had to hear about one of my favourite people doing something so terrible i don't think i would have been the same

[@phone_gal]

honestly, i 100% respect this, he did something amazing to protect our childhood, he truly was an idol we all wanted

[@portalmaster07]

fan theory time: Lee (the character) changed his name (possibly to just "The Bear" or something) after hearing about what Lee (the person) did and he kept hit the target at bay until he would inevitably attack stampy again

[@dooplets._.5776]

Stampy had a lot of friends that eventually did creepy stuff, I'm in awe of how well he handled this

[@bacon_will_rule9063]

I remember watching this episode as a kid and being so sad being like WHYYY but it’s awesome how he handled it and it’s a shame that this happend.

[@DiamondG489]

I remember when I saw his departure when I was younger, wondering why he just left so suddenly only to find out when I moved on from Stampy's content about what he did. It's still disheartening that he'd did those terrible things all while a show meant for kids was being done where he's the main sidekick, and I'm so glad Stampy made him leave in a very peaceful way without going out of character to not hurt the children who watched

[@ShursGarden]

From what others were saying, the guy was only 14 during the timeframe of the accusation, so there was little chance of it actually being true.

[@thenorthstarsamurai]

Also i'm pretty sure Lee was the one who prompted to leave as to not tarnish Stampy's name

[@DiamondG489]

@@thenorthstarsamurai That and it would've ruined the children if they learned what happened behind the scenes. It's a bit harsh since Stampy didn't want to cause any drama, especially when he found out his own friend of his did some heinous things behind the scenes but it's nice that he went out his way to have Lee basically do the equivalent of when the main character for Blue's Clues left the show so that someone else can be his replacement by having him 'go to college'

[@DiamondG489]

@WizardCrafterz Correction: He didn't go to jail for p3d0philia, but he did get caught doing some really pervy/awful stuff to two young women who were close friends of his family. And dude, that happened a long time ago so pardon my French for not knowing something that was basically resolved so long ago that I didn't know that the situation was skewed differently to what actually happened in 2023. I'm sorry for not knowing, but I really don't care about something that's been dead in the water for so long

[@Benlovescheese]

Stampy handled it in such a professional and fitting way for the show, where he made it clear that it was just a character and more will be joining soon, and they did.

[@josephm37240]

This is my first time knowing why he left and oh my god i am so grateful that i wasn't exposed to that as a young child

[@maaylor1377]

I grew up with Stampy, and I didn't even know there was a controversy with Lee... This changes my memories in ways I don't want them to be changed :(

[@ElliottSargent]

I believe that for a few days after the video was released, Stampy wrote in the description that someone else had been acting as Lee before removing it.

[@princefluff]

I remember when this episode came out and I was confused and kinda sad that lee left but when I found out a few months later I understood that it was the right thing and I think stampy handled it perfectly given his young audience and the type of content that he makes. The last video with lee in it blended in perfectly with his other videos with being light hearted and with the storyline of the lovely world which I can imagine was very hard to accomplish with the actual situation behind lee. I thank stampy for handling it how he did, I’m nearly 20 now and I still revisit his channel every so often to see how the world has grown :]

[@Christmasprancer]

Bro I miss Lee Bear he didn’t deserve anything

[@IsaacWale2004]

I wasn't watching Stampy when this all happened, but I remember hearing about it after and being in utter shock... I hope Lee is doing okay now though, since (from what I've heard) he isn't the same as he was...

[@FirestoneAnimation]

I suddenly have the urge to binge the whole of stampys lovely world.

[@HighestReal.]

Ong same💀 I don't even really like minecraft that much but stampy was my childhood hero

[@aoife3052]

watched stampy my whole childhood and i knew about what he did as soon as it happened, broke me as a child

[@locomotivetrainstation6053]

L for Lee left because he didn't want stampy involved in the controversy

[@b1kstarrrr]

you putting super mario galaxy music made me get in my nostalgia feels even more, a small tear. thanks ;)

[@JerooMinecraft]

You're welcome 😊 the music from that game gets me so emotional

[@michaelbaccelli7317]

2:46 crazy how that 9 year old is 15 now

[@thepoisonblade0465]

i remember watching stampy when his vids first came out, this brought back a lot of childhood memories

[@korncobb8808]

I did some research on this incident a while ago and when I looked into it I found almost no evidence that made the story sound believable. I'm still confused on the situation to this day.

[@asdfoifhvjbkaos]

yeah I don't really get it either... my main takeaway is that he was like 16 at the time of... whatever tf happened

[@noranoravi]

I remember being younger and seeing bye bear. I never knew what happened to L for Lee until I see this video many years later. Wow, thank you Stampy for protecting me and other kids from that information.

[@graeme6]

if i'm not mistaken, did lee not give an interview or something saying he chose to leave stampy's lovely world as opposed to stampy "sending him off"? that doesn't discredit the fact that stampy handled it so thoughtfully tho!

[@SuperCookie64]

Exactly.

[@thealmightyflabigail]

Another thing that doesn’t sit right with me is the age gap between Stampy and squaishy. Squaishy was 17 when they started dating and stampy was in his mid 20s.

[@SuperCookie64]

@@thealmightyflabigail So? There's nothing illegal about that.

[@Maverick-hf1pe]

@@SuperCookie64i guess but its interesting how you say its fine because theres nothing illegal about it, but if the age of consent was 18 instead of 16 in the UK then everyone would be calling him a groomer and pedo etc, it shows how much people will base their opinions on the law rather than actual morality

[@SuperCookie64]

@@Maverick-hf1pe I seriously don't see the problem. Sqaishey was nearly 18 anyway when Sky Den started, they didn't get engaged until Sqaishey was 23 and on top of that, they've never mentioned ever having sex, so not only is there certainly nothing illegal going on, but there's nothing immoral about it either.

[@xAlicia21]

I never knew Lee had all the controversies at the time, but it all came out not long after and i couldnt beliebe it. I think Stampy handled the situation very well and it was definitely the best way, he protected us kids, im so impressed! As an adult now, it proves how pure he is

[@XOZSKU]

tbh i just realized that Stampylongnose himself, he’s soo good with children since he protected us from the bad evil side of L for Leeeeeee when we were kids actually tho, what a good concent creator for children since parents improves Stampy and likes what he does, thx u Stampy for making our childhoods..

[@bankerduck4925]

How the blazes! This is a rather well analyzed and summarized account of the situation. L for Leeeeee x has himself said that he did say the final goodbyes himself, instead of another person being in his skin... All thanks to our beloved orange cat. Of course we miss Lee, but within Stampy's lovely world of course, he is doing great things...

[@XvAstarisk]

oh damn, I remember this episode and I didn't even knew that L For Lee was going.

[@OfficialDenzy]

In the video it was actually the real L for lee. You can see it in the book he signed. And I remember a video of lee explaining that he told stampy to make the video, so he doesn't have anymore problems.

[@Dbbjifgjxjgxjgx]

This makes me so sad😢 I was just a little kid when I was watching he’s video I was a little kid so I didn’t think too much of it I thought this was just role-play but now I cried

[@angelawang5487]

my god, i never knew this as a kid. I was genuinely saddened by the departure and it was one of the most memorable episode for me, even after years have passed, i still vaguely remember the games they played, and how lee left. I’m honestly so thankful with how stampy handled it, i felt sad, but i was felt like it was a great experience.

[@President_jack]

Yes

[@Peeeeencil]

As a child I always hoped for him to come back after this episode. I'm somewhat glad he's not due to his actions but he was a big part of everyone's childhood

[@TheOriginal1234]

nahhh the fish at 1:09

[@VERI999]

L for lee didn’t do anything bad, he was going through a break up and he made his own choice to leave stamps because he didn’t want to bring stampy down, look on his youtube channel it sums it up really well

[@redditreads1878]

Ikr

[@emilydavidson8844]

@@Basketball_TPOT yea cuz it’s true

[@emilydavidson8844]

@@Basketball_TPOT yea cuz they were all lies

[@clogix6727]

@@Basketball_TPOT stop acting like u know what happened

[@Staralium]

This is nostalgic man. I used to watch stampy all the time back in 2013-2016. Never knew that L for Lee had such controversy. He was one of my favourite characters

[@T-Law.]

I remember watching this when I was a child. I never knew about lee. When this episode happened I was sad he left but never questioned it. What a good guy for handling it the way he did

[@SkibidiEziot]

A wise and good guy handle the justice..

[@yitraboom]

Was it even actually confirmed that Lee did the things that they said he did?

[@SuperCookie64]

Nope. Never ever. And he was legally underage when it supposedly happened.

[@spectre8_fulcrum]

No it was lies. He was going through a break up.

[@thegingerbreadlad140]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/maSWo3yMjdR9pqM He explains everything in this

[@cowilo_]

It was confirmed long ago Lee did nothing wrong and that it was all lies. The media picked it up and essentially framed him to be this terrible guy. Lee knew the controversy he carried with him and didn't want to bring Stampy down with it so he made the decision to part ways with being in Stampy's videos.

[@imselfaware419]

@@cowilo_ So it was a bunch of a-holes that got away with that for a long while...

[@reaper_boixx3126]

I love Stampy growing up, my childhoods revolved around Minecraft youtubers. There was dantdm, skydoesminecraft, thinknoodles, popularmmos. Unfortunately sky, and pop fell, unlike Dan, thinknoodles, and stampy which makes me really happy. These guys help me shape me into the happy person I am today. God bless these amazing people

[@solaristhecatccsys3132]

(THIS COMMENT TURNED SO LONG IM SORRY BUT IM NOT SHORTENING IT THERES A READ MORE U CAN IGNORE-) i find it very interesting the lore implications of how lee left and what happened before and after and how joe, as a storywriter, turned this unfortunate incident into a part of a waaay bigger plotline - before lee left, the episode right before (338), stampy's house was caught on fire and lee helped put out the fire. this was a particularly scary episode for c!stampy, and barnaby as well (read below) - the episode lee left, stampy was like "yk what i need? a day of fun and minigames!" and so lee and stampy hung out and had fun and stuff - the episode after, you can see stampy trying to bake the cake properly (and failing, showing how he's a bit rusty at making his own cakes lol), and barnaby deciding to stay in the room with stampy seemingly out of fear of hit the target (with barnaby's loft eventually replacing the old "room of no requirement", showing how important barnaby as a character is compared to how important lee was) you also see the other helpers leaving, with joe opting for his own original characters (minus HTT, who had been a character for a while even though he was technically a person who just happened to play minecraft with joe. he kinda became his own character as a villain and primary antagonist). the original characters (veeva, william, polly, fizzy, and technically target) can all be played by anyone joe's friends with, allowing for consistency although target does point out how the old helpers never stayed (and everyone left except him, and stampy brands him as a villain) in the "saving the world" episode, so it is interesting how the shift from "persona" characters to actual characters impacts the lore! i do also understand the change from persona-based characters (L-for-Lee being "himself" in some way instead of entirely a separate character) to actual original characters (William Beaver, a character not tied specifically to any one person) and it was pretty necessary, as if someone doesn't like a person, or if that person does something bad, we don't have to go "well i don't like X's actions, but their character in lovely world is nice!", we can just know that the characters are separate from the actors. example from personal experience: i have a bias against a certain other actor (if you somehow know, don't say who specifically plz) that was in the older episodes and probably still acts in some of the current episodes, but nowadays i don't have to think about them playing the characters i appreciate and enjoy, i just see the characters as separate from their minecraft actors. i do appreciate many of the old helpers as *characters*, but it is complicated to distinguish character from content creator / actor when they share a name in some form. i enjoy not having to give out disclaimers just because i love a character in what's basically a kids minecraft youtube show also if you (jeroo) re reading through all of this: the thumbnail is ABSOLUTELY HILARIOUS, that thumbnail with the bow and arrow pointed at lee is the funniest one and the way you edited it to be even funnier- i wouldn't quite call it "clickbait" but it DID make me way more likely to click on the video, soooo :P

[@hello_ree]

how come you and banker duck are everywhere

[@solaristhecatccsys3132]

@@hello_ree i am active in the lovely world community and since theres like 10 fans (that are not just back for nostalgia for a few days), im bound to pop up places XD

[@hello_ree]

@@solaristhecatccsys3132 btw are you that stampy person on tumblr or is that someone else

[@locomotivetrainstation6053]

Finally, someone who understands about the helpers

[@singleyfps]

i remember taking my dads i phone 4 at night and watching stampy every day I used to try and get into his garden😭

[@alumlovescake]

Damn.... Didn't we all?

[@fishxy2123]

It was a good send off and a very good way to prevent any of the controversy being brought onto Stampy. Though I believe nothing actually happend, it was a perfect way to handle such crazy accusations.

[@Amethyst.i]

My brother and I watched Stampy all the time when we were kids and I never knew about this. I’m glad we didn’t find out about it to be honest

[@noxyyflyyy]

I thought he was found innocent

[@chiaseed425]

He was but Lee chose to leave so stampy wouldn't be associated with the controversy

[@locomotivetrainstation6053]

@@chiaseed425 massive respect