GTA 5 Franklin actor says Kai Cenat reached out

GTA 5 actor Shawn Fonteno says Kai Cenat reached out after Franklin's actor accused him of failing to buy a young fan from a struggling family a motorcycle after promising him one on stream.

Fonteno, who plays Franklin Clinton in Rockstar’s blockbuster game, appeared on Cenat’s Mafiathon 2 in November 2024. The actor previously opened up to Kai about his life before GTA and why playing Franklin came naturally to him.

The pair streamed together again shortly afterwards, with Fonteno taking Cenat through the real Los Angeles neighborhoods that inspired locations in GTA 5.

However, Fonteno says the experience ended badly after Cenat allegedly broke a promise to a child they met during the broadcast.

Shawn Fonteno refuses to stream with Kai Cenat again

Speaking on the Dope As Usual podcast, Fonteno said the group visited a struggling family who had around 15 people living in a one-bedroom home.

According to the actor, a young boy told Cenat he was a huge fan before asking the Twitch star for a motorcycle. Cenat allegedly responded: “We’re going to make it happen.”

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Fonteno estimated that the bike would have cost roughly $1,000 to $1,200. He said he repeatedly contacted Cenat and his team in the following weeks, urging them to honor the promise before Christmas.

“He just ignored me,” Fonteno claimed, adding that the child repeatedly asked whether his bike was still coming.

"It just hurt my heart, but it also made me more upset with him to the point he couldn't call me no more. And then it made me upset with other streamers; like this is how y'all are, soaking all these millions and millions and millions and you have millions of fans, but you can't cater to one kid."

The GTA star said the incident left him feeling embarrassed because he had brought Cenat to the family’s home. It also convinced him to cut off any future collaborations with the streamer.

“I’ll never do another stream with him again,” he declared.

Despite his criticism, Fonteno stopped short of condemning Cenat entirely. He called him “a good kid” and said he did not want viewers to harass him.

Franklin actor says Kai Cenat reached out amid broken promise allegations

Fonteno said he hoped Cenat would see the interview, accept that he made a mistake, and avoid making promises he cannot keep in the future.

"It's fixed," the GTA 5 actor remarked.

It's not clear if this means that Kai ended up getting the kid a bike after all. The streamer has yet to address the situation publicly and clear the air.