Smash Bros. veteran Mew2King has issued a statement addressing concerns about potentially carrying bed bugs after being banned from attending a Melee tournament.
The professional player, whose real name is Jason Zimmerman, clarified his previous comments about insect bites and swollen hands, while announcing that he would be taking a break from streaming.
Mew2King’s denies bed bug claims
Mew2King was banned from attending Xtreme Fighters Showdown after sharing photographs of insect bites and discussing swelling in his hands while travelling to the event.
In his full statement, he said that he had not been dealing with bed bugs while living in Ohio, explaining that his roommate’s cats occasionally had fleas despite receiving treatment.
“I want to clear up that I have not had bed bugs the entire time I was in Ohio,” he wrote, adding that his roommate had repeatedly assured him this was the case.
Mew2King also clarified that a photograph showing numerous bites on his leg was taken three months earlier, rather than immediately before the tournament.
“I very much regret posting a photo of my leg from months ago; it was unnecessary,” he wrote, adding that sharing the image had caused people to assume his condition was considerably worse than it currently was.
The photograph of his swollen hand, however, was taken on the day he posted it. Mew2King said his fingers returned to normal within hours and suggested that practicing extensively with Fox in Melee before his flight might have contributed to the discomfort.
He also addressed concerns about potentially bringing insects to the tournament, explaining that his roommate had washed and inspected his belongings before he left Ohio.
After arriving in Texas, Mew2King said he washed his clothes again and had two other people inspect his bags and clothing, with none of the checks revealing any insects.
“I’m pretty much 100% (99.9x? at least) sure I contain no bugs, and certainly not bed bugs,” he wrote.
Mew2King acknowledged that his original posts had caused unnecessary concern and regretted sharing them without considering how others might interpret his comments.
He also revealed that he had been looking forward to competing at Xtreme Fighters Showdown, having practiced extensively, promoted the tournament and encouraged friends to attend.
However, he confirmed that he would not be attending any in-person events for the foreseeable future or streaming.
“I’m turning off replies because of the types of mean messages many people sent me that I don’t want to see or deal with. I won’t be streaming or around for a while (maybe weeks, idk). Thx to those who do care. Appreciate you,” he said in an October 17 X post.
