A few days ago, Xbox Brazil video content host Isadora Basile announced that she would be leaving the company only a month after taking the position. In a statement shared on Twitter, Basile wrote that she had been experiencing extreme harassment even before officially beginning her work with Xbox, and Microsoft had decided to terminate her employment as a result.
In the post, Basile explained that since announcing her new position as a host on Xbox Brazil, people regularly told her that she wasn’t worthy of having the job for a variety of reasons, and in some cases the host had even received rape and death threats. “Thanks to all of these harassments,” Basile stated, “Microsoft decided that it was for the best to sever ties with me as a host.” She then went on to express her continued dedication to the company and respect for the decision.
Shortly afterward, Xbox Brazil made its own tweet, confirming that Basile would be leaving the company. However, the Twitter post implied that other employees besides Basile had been let go, as the company also thanked the “talented agency crew for their creativity and contribution to Xbox News” and stated that Xbox Wire Portal would from that point on be the only news channel for Xbox Brazil.
The response to these events was pretty negative, as the assumption was that Basile had spoken truthfully about the reason for her dismissal from Xbox Brazil, and firing an employee for being the victim of harassment did not seem to be a very kind or supportive decision. Microsoft felt it necessary to clarify the situation, and a spokesperson released a statement to explain that programming changes were the real reason for Basile and others being removed from the team.
“We do not tolerate harassment or disrespectful behavior of any kind and we took action to support Isadora when personal attacks against her were brought to our attention. Last week’s programming changes are unrelated. They are the direct result of our ongoing effort to reach more players in more languages with the real-time news and comprehensive information available from our global news outlet, Xbox Wire.”
While this may be true, it unfortunately is not the first time that an Xbox Brazil host has experienced harassment. Former employee Mariana Ayres also received threats before she left the company. This history of toxic behavior lends some credence to Microsoft’s assertion that it now plans to deliver news content solely through Xbox Wire, perhaps at least partially in response to the harassment received by Xbox Brazil employees.
Basile, meanwhile, has not let the change in employment slow her down. The former Xbox Brazil video content host has continued to stream with friends on Facebook Gaming, playing games such as the multiplayer space adventure Among Us and Devolver Digital’s Disc Room, and appearing as a guest on the Twitch streams of other Brazilian gamers.
Source: IGN