YouTube: pokimane
Pokimane has withdrawn from her role as a professor at Kai Cenat’s Streamer University 2 following the death of her grandfather, stepping back from the event to be with her family.
She shared the news on X, apologizing to attendees and wishing them well, before offering a more personal reflection in a follow-up TikTok.
i'm so sorry to say i can't attend streamer university anymore, i just found out my grandpa passed & want to be there for my family.
i hope everyone has an amazing time ♥️
— pokimane (@pokimanelol) July 11, 2026
Pokimane reflects on the guilt of grieving from a distance
Pokimane, who is Moroccan-Canadian, spoke about the particular weight of grieving as an immigrant living far from extended family.
“We grew up very, very far from my grandparents and I would really only see them like once every two years,” she said. “When you grow up far away from your family, you have this constant sense of guilt like, should I be visiting more?”
The news came during what had otherwise been a high point in her week. She was in Paris attending Couture Week and had learned she’d been accepted into Streamer University just an hour before hearing of her grandfather’s death.
She described a pattern she has noticed throughout her life, where major highs are quickly followed by significant lows.
“Throughout my whole life it has felt like I cannot have high highs without very low lows almost at the same time,” she said, adding that it sometimes makes her “fearful of good things.”
Streamer University 2 is set to begin July 15, with a professor lineup that still includes: Ludwig, Duke Dennis, Agent00, Cinna, TheSushiDragon, Lizzo and Kai’s sister Kaiya Cenat, leaving two spots vacant after Maya Higa also pulled out.
Streamer University 2 kicked off in style. Kai Cenat’s first stream back drew over one million viewers across Twitch and YouTube as he revealed the roster of students selected for 2026’s cohort.
