Image: Rockstar Games
The actor who played Michael in GTA 5 was forced to end a Thanksgiving stream after being swatted.
Ned Luke, the actor who played Michael De Santa in Grand Theft Auto V, was recently swatted while playing GTA Online during a livestream. Luke was streaming himself playing GTA 5's multiplayer mode when he received a call and abruptly ended the stream, after informing viewers that, "these assholes have swatted my house."
You can watch this clip from his live stream below:
Ned Luke got swatted while playing GTA 5
GTA 5 actor Ned Luke is best known by fans for providing motion capture and voice work for Michael De Santa, one of the game's three playable protagonists. Luke has been regularly streaming playthroughs of GTA 5 and, following Rockstar’s official announcement of GTA 6, GTA Online on YouTube. The actor had been in the middle of a Thanksgiving stream of GTA Online when he was swatted.
For those unaware, swatting refers to the highly dangerous act of random viewers calling the cops on a streamer while they’re in the middle of a live stream. To do this, the viewer would have to know exactly where the streamer lives. As Luke himself explained on Twitter/X, the issue has nothing to do with Rockstar Games or the game itself, but, “assholes,” who, “leaked my private info years ago and have been doing this shit since.”
In a reply to another Twitter/X user, Luke confirmed that this was only the most recent of several swatting attempts made against him. That explains why the actor looked more annoyed than shocked at the realisation that he was being swatted again this week. Luke had been in the middle of scanning online leaderboards of GTA Online when he received a call, to which he immediately reacted with tired sarcasm: “They’re what? Oh, nice! Nice, nice. Alright, I’ll be out there.”
Following the incident, Luke posted a sticker of himself shrugging:
At the very least, it appears that the actor came out of the swatting safe and unharmed, though obviously annoyed that this isn’t the first time it’s happened. Swatting is extremely dangerous for streamers, as it often results in armed police officers storming their houses violently and interrogating them. Famous streamers often have to keep their private addresses under wraps because of incidents like these, which can have long-term repercussions on their mental health, if nothing else.
Rockstar Games recently announced that the first trailer for GTA 6 will be revealed next month, following multiple leaks of the game’s existence.
