Kaitlyn Siragusa, better known by her moniker, Amouranth, has no problem pushing boundaries on social media. As a self-described “leader in the e-girl space,” she has essentially redefined what it means to be a streamer. She has become the indisputable queen of streaming through her almost decade-long career, building a loyal follower base and winning numerous creator awards in the process.
While the 30-year-old creator enjoys widespread popularity, she is no stranger to controversy. Over the years, Amouranth has faced criticism for both the oft-sexual nature of her content and her “controversial” business decisions, which include selling her own bathwater, developing an AI companion chatbot, and launching an OnlyFans account (where she has now amassed over $57 million in earnings).
Although she has faced numerous suspensions from different social media platforms — with Twitch banning her for the eighth time in January of this year — she has taken the backlash in stride.
“For me, controversy just helps,” Amouranth tells Centennial World. “They expect that from me, so they just talk about it rather than trying to cancel me.”
Amouranth started streaming on Twitch in the mid-2010s, sharing detailed cosplays of the undead archer Sylvanas, the teleporting Tracer, and other “boudoir cosplayers” like Jessica Nigiri. Early in 2017, she launched her Patreon, and financial success quickly followed; by May of that year, she was already earning “$20,000 a month.” She remembers thinking, “All right, I’m hopping on this train, and we’re going to run with it.”
From here, Amouranth has gone from strength to strength. But, like every content creator, there is always the potential for it to all come crashing down.
Relying on a platform like Twitch is particularly tenuous. Twitch has long been criticised for its treatment of creators. Last year, for instance, streamers boycotted Twitch en masse after the platform introduced guidelines that reduced the avenues available to streamers for advertising, making it harder for these creators to make money.
With Amouranth known for posting sexually suggestive content, she is at an even greater risk for it all to crash and burn.
Catering to viewers aged 13 and older, Twitch has strict community guidelines for what can and cannot be posted. Despite Amouranth being banned numerous times for breaching these guidelines, she is simultaneously targeted for posting provocative content (while male creators seldom face similar backlash).
That being said, the fleeting nature of streaming weighs on Amouranth’s mind. “I knew that I had to do something with it [influence] because I didn’t know how long it would last… So, while I have it, I need to be conservative and save and invest,” she says.
The millions she’s earned have been reinvested in unexpected places. She claims to own an inflatable pool toy company, a Circle K gas station, a 7/11 convenience store, and an orchard. At one point, she even considered moving into esports— a seemingly natural move from her streaming background.
To support her various business ventures and manage her content, Amouranth has assembled a team around her. Currently, she employs at least seven people working for her and her talent agency, Evolved, which also manages other prominent streamers such as Felix “xQc” Lengyel and Kitboga.
“I’m very motivated by results,” Amouranth reflects. “I try not to spend too much time in one avenue that I enjoy a lot if it’s just not yielding results because I really view streaming and concentration as work, and then I’ll have the rest of my life to play.”
This drive is palpable, with Amouranth consistently challenging the boundaries of what a streamer can achieve.
Whether on Twitch or Kick (another widely used live streaming platform), she dedicates most days of the week to streaming for hours. Throughout these sessions, she closely monitors the view count, explaining that it provides insights into what resonates with her audience. Through this, she has introduced entirely new “metas” (a term commonly used in video games for the most effective tactic available) to streaming, setting trends for other creators to follow.
Amouranth played a significant role in popularising “hot-tub streaming” back in 2021. This genre emerged as a means to circumvent Twitch’s community guidelines. The platform permitted wearing swimwear, specifying that it should “completely cover the genitals, and those who present as women must also cover their nipples.” As a result, Amouranth began streaming in an inflatable hot tub— a practice that was embraced by other popular female streamers like Pokimane.
Twitch later introduced a dedicated category on the site for hot tubs, pools, and beaches, allowing advertisers to choose to run ads featuring streamers in scantily clad attire. However, like many trends in the creator economy, the initial drama and viewer interest eventually subsided, prompting Amouranth to move on to the next thing.
“The goal is almost never to break the platform,” Amouranth said. “It’s more just doing something that’s working and continuing to drive my motivation and my content, making it better all the time.”
Having said that, Amouranth recognises the importance of maintaining a positive relationship with the platforms, even as she pushes boundaries. For her, it’s about gauging where the line is and understanding when to stop.
“The hype and then the sudden extinguishing of the fire makes people pay attention,” she notes.
In June last year, Amouranth signed a deal with streaming platform Kick, telling Dexerto that it doubled “[her] income across the board.” Co-owned by the founder of crypto gambling platform Stake, Kick is a streaming site that allows for more controversial behaviour than Twitch, making it a perfect home for her content. Although the platform remains significantly smaller than Twitch, she continues to direct her followers to Kick.
However, the motives behind why Amouranth continues to post sexualised content have come into question over the past year. In 2022, the streamer came forward, alleging emotional and financial abuse by her husband. She accused him of forcing her to create adult content and engage in the “hot tub streaming” meta. Since revealing this information in a Twitch stream, Amouranth has rarely addressed the topic and continues to create provocative content.
All in all, for Amouranth, controversies, headlines, and jaw-dropping antics give journalists and commentary creators “consistent things to write about.” Articles raise her Google ranking, while gossip piques people’s interest, ensuring discoverability and funnelling internet users into her world.
“There’s so much saturation of creators that, to stay top of mind, you have to be grabbing their attention often,” Amouranth finishes. “I tend not to focus on what I want the world to be, but just how it is, and adapt to it.”