The man who gained viral fame amid Hurricane MiltoN is facing backlash after uttering a terrible racist slur while speaking to fans.
Joseph Malinowski, 54, nicknamed Lt. Dan after the famous “Forrest Gump” character, faced heavy criticism from his fans after he accidentally dropped the N-word during a live broadcast on the popular streaming platform Kick. com.
In a clip that has since been circulating on various social media platforms, the one-legged Florida sailor was seen casually chatting with his followers as he used the slur, which sparked an immediate backlash.
According to viewers who were watching the stream at the time, Kick.com ended Lt. Dan's stream immediately after he said the word.
Joseph Malinowski, 54, nicknamed Lt. Dan after the famous “Forrest Gump” character, drew heavy criticism from his fans after he accidentally dropped the “N” word during a live broadcast on Kick.com
Malinowski said he lost a leg in a car accident when he was just 16 years old
If you want to get back into my good graces, it will take time and a lot of work. This will be difficult. 'Cause when I cut you off, you're finished, nigga… I'm sorry, it's okay, that's it, you've had enough,” Malinowski said.
Since then, supporters of the viral star have taken to social media to share criticism of the once-beloved “hurricane hero.”
Viewers were quick to react to the social media star's casual use of the word.
“Lieutenant I just got this opportunity and I'm already trying to get banned,” one person said.
“We made the wrong man famous,” added another.
Malinowski got his first taste of fame when University of Tampa student Terrence Concannon began recording viral TikTok videos of him as a storm approached.
Concannon organized an online fundraiser for the one-legged sailor, which raised more than $46,000 in donations.
According to public records accessed by DailyMail.com, since 2012, “Lieutenant Dan” has had more than 70 contacts with police in Florida and North Carolina.
A one-legged Florida sailor was seen on Thursday after surviving the storm on his boat
Streamer Adin Ross also announced that he would buy Malinowski a new boat – an offer he apparently withdrew when the sailor's long criminal past came to light.
The video comes amid rising tensions over Malinowski's GoFundMe fundraiser, as the 54-year-old daughter slammed her new fans who have turned their attention to her father, saying his viral fame will lead him to an early grave.
On Friday, Ashley Ann Malinowski posted a post on TikTok in which she condemned the influential people who turned her father into an internet star.
In a post on her account, Ashley Ann tearfully wrote that her father would “probably end up dead” because of all the attention.
“Lieutenant Dan was doing quite well without all that money,” the daughter began.
“Y'all TikTok…famous people blew him up…he's going to die before he can even enjoy this boat.”
Ashley Ann then said that her father was “high” in all the videos, which made her wonder, “is it just weed?”
She explained that for ten years she had to “watch (her father) and try to make sure he was alive.”
“Now he's going to get it all and probably end up dead because of it,” she said.
She said she tries not to devote too much of her “energy” to the situation, explaining that she just wants to make sure her father is alive.
But then, as she took aim at her father's alleged enablers, she began to cry.
Malinowski's daughter, Ashley Ann Malinowski, tearfully said her father could “end up dead” because of the attention and money fans send him
The potentially image-damaging video comes amid growing tensions over Malinowski's GoFundMe fundraiser after the 54-year-old's daughter slammed his new fans who have turned their attention to her father, saying his viral fame would lead him to premature death grave
“Y'all are going to fucking throw him in his grave for making him famous, giving him this money and offering him this shit.
“You don't even know what the hell you're doing. You don't know this man. You don't know him at all.
Ashley Ann then tearfully accused powerful people of not really caring about her father's well-being.
“No one really fucking cares about him. Nobody actually cares. You use him to make him famous, to become more famous, to look good.
This week, “Lieutenant Dan” launched his own TikTok account, where he chronicled his experience on a sailboat during Milton. It currently boasts over 270,000 followers.
