The man who found viral fame amid Hurricane Milton is facing intense backlash after he uttered an atrocious racial slur while chatting with fans.
Joseph Malinowski, 54, nicknamed Lieutenant Dan after the famed ‘Forrest Gump’ character, has sparked fierce scrutiny from his fanbase after he very casually dropped the N-word while livestreaming on Kick.com – a popular streaming platform.
In the clip, that has since circulated across various social platforms, the one-legged Florida sailor was seen casually chatting with his followers when he used the slur – igniting an immediate reaction.
Kick.com ended Lieutenant Dan’s stream as soon as the word was said, according to viewers who were tuned in at the time.
Joseph Malinowski, 54, nicknamed Lieutenant Dan after the famed ‘Forrest Gump’ character, has sparked fierce scrutiny from his fanbase after he very casually dropped the N-word while livestreaming on Kick.com
Malinowski said he had lost a leg in a car accident at just 16 years old
‘If you want to get back in my good graces, it’s going to take time and a lot of work. It’s going to be hard. Cause once I cut you off, you’re done n****… Sorry, alright, that’s it, you’re done,’ Malinowski said.
Followers of the viral star have since shared their criticism of the once-adored ‘hurricane hero’ on social media.
Viewers quickly lashed out at the social media star’s casual use of the word.
‘Lt. just got the opportunity and already trying to get banned,’ one person said.
‘We made the wrong guy famous,’ another added.
Malinowski had his first taste of fame when University of Tampa student Terrence Concannon began recording viral TikTok videos of him as the storm approached.
Concannon organized an online fundraiser for the one-legged sailor, which received more than $46,000 in donations.
‘Lieutenant Dan’ has had over 70 contacts with police in Florida and North Carolina since 2012, according to public records seen by DailyMail.com
The one -legged Florida sailor was seen on Thursday after surviving the storm on his boat
Streamer Adin Ross also announced that he would purchase Malinowski a new boat – an offer that he apparently reneged on once the sailor’s lengthy criminal history surfaced.
The video comes amidst rising tensions over Malinowski’s GoFundMe fundraiser as the 54-year-old’s daughter slammed his new fans who have heaped attention onto her father, saying that his viral fame will lead him to an early grave.
On Friday, Ashley Ann Malinowski, uploaded a TikTok in which she condemned the influencers who have turned her father into an internet celebrity.
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Lieutenant Dan's daughter warns: 'Don't give him money'
Posting to her account, Ashley Ann tearfully said that her father would ‘probably end up dead’ because of all of the attention.
‘Lieutenant Dan was doing just fine without all that money,’ the daughter began.
‘Y’all TikTok… famous people blowing him up… he’s going to be dead before he can even enjoy that boat.’
Ashley Ann then said that her father was ‘high’ in all of the videos, which made her wonder ‘is it just weed?’
She explained that she has had ‘to keep tabs [on her father] for ten years, trying to make sure he’s alive.’
‘Now he’s gonna get all of this and probably end up dead because of it,’ she said.
She said that she was trying not to give the situation too much of her ‘energy,’ clarifying that she just wanted to make sure her father was alive.
But then, when she took aim at her father’s alleged enablers, she started to tear up.
Malinowski’s daughter, Ashley Ann Malinowski, tearfully said that her father could ‘end up dead’ due to all the attention and money his fans are sending him
The potentially image tarnishing video comes amidst rising tensions over Malinowski’s GoFundMe fundraiser as the 54-year-old’s daughter slammed his new fans who have heaped attention onto her father, saying that his viral fame will lead him to an early grave
‘Y’all are gonna f****** put him in the grave for making him famous and giving him this money and offering him this s***.
‘Y’all don’t even know what the f*** you’re doing. You don’t know that man. You don’t know him at all.’
With tears in her eyes, Ashley Ann then accused influencers of not truly caring about her father’s welfare.
‘Nobody actually f****** cares for him either. Nobody actually cares. Y’all are just using him to make him famous, to make yourselves more famous, to make yourselves look good.’
This week, ‘Lieutenant Dan’ launched his own TikTok account, where he chronicled his survival on his sailboat during Milton. He currently boasts over 270,000 followers.