The Truth About Ninja And Jessica Blevins' Relationship
Within just a few years, Tyler "Ninja" Blevins turned from professional gamer to internet celebrity. His name is almost synonymous with titles like Fortnite, the incredibly popular multiplayer title from Epic Games. However, there's another aspect of life in which Ninja has been very lucky: love. His relationship with his wife, Jessica "Jess" Blevins, appears stronger than ever before, despite the couple's busy schedule.
As Business Insider reports, Tyler and Jess met at a Halo tournament in 2010. There was an incredible snowstorm that day, so the two almost gave up on attending the event. At the time, Tyler already had a girlfriend, so Jess wouldn't start dating him yet, although she thought he was cute. "I didn't want to be disrespectful and reach out," she said. "But I'd creep on his Facebook every once in a while."
Three years later, Tyler was single again. When he reconnected with Jess over Twitter, he finally asked her out. The rest is history!
Ninja and Jess don't always get to spend much time together
Streaming video games is not easy money — far from it. According to Polygon, Ninja has a crazy work schedule of 12 hours per day.
During an interview with Business Insider, Jess revealed she doesn't get to spend much time with Tyler. Initially, she didn't under why it took him so long to text her back when he was online. This little misunderstanding prompted her to create her own Twitch channel. "I started streaming, and the very first day I streamed, I didn't text him for over an hour," she said.
When interviewed by CNBC, Jess also confessed she doesn't go on many holidays with her husband, mainly because missing a day of streaming can cause Ninja to lose thousands of subscribers. The only vacation the couple took together was their honeymoon, which lasted six days. As Tyler said to The New York Times, "That was devastating. It was a calculated risk."
The professional gamer told The New York Times that, during their one-hour interview, he'd probably lose 200 or 300 subscribers. If you multiply that number for 24 or 48 hours, you'll understand why Ninja doesn't take many days off. More recently, Ninja's been less worried about losing viewers than he used to be, but streaming is still very much his full-time gig.
Jess played a major role in Ninja's success
Though impossible to say for certain, Ninja might not have become an internet celebrity at his current level if Jess hadn't helped him. Back in 2015, when the couple started living together, Jess noticed Tyler used to reply to business emails in an unprofessional manner. She told CNBC that her now-husband used text abbreviations and didn't capitalize letters.
That's when she took charge of the situation and became Ninja's manager. Other than handling business emails, Jess started to pitch Tyler to potential sponsors. "It was always so easy to pitch him, because I saw him work so hard," she said. "So I was able to tell these companies, like, all this guy does is stream. 'If you guys are a headset company, sponsor him. He is [online] 15 hours a frickin' day'".
Today, Jess oversees "Team Ninja", which, as of November 2018, included about 15 employees. Many brands approach Ninja for collaborations. Among his sponsors, Blevins has prestigious firms like Samsung, Red Bull, and Uber Eats.
Mrs. Blevins told Business Insider she hopes to see her husband in Hollywood and in the world of sports. In other words, she wants him to become a household name.
Jess needs to keep the manager and wife roles separated
Working with your spouse isn't always easy. Jess has shared she sometimes needs to set aside her feelings and have "tough conversations" with Tyler as his manager. According to her, the worst part of her job is having to spend most family time talking about business. During their free time, Ninja and his wife often find themselves discussing sponsorships or opportunities to attend industry events.
"I need to do that because there are people that need answers and we don't have enough time as it is," she said. However, Jess added that she's very happy to work together with Tyler in their Chicago house.
Being an internet celebrity is hard, but the Blevins seem to have mastered a work-life balance that fits their needs. That's why their relationship is so strong despite having limited time to spend together.
Jess says she often faces misogynistic comments
Unfortunately, women are often the targets of harassment on Twitch. For instance, NBC News interviewed Quqco, an art streamer who received several strikes from the platform. Quqco believes that a group of "angry men" from the subreddit LiveStreamFails mass-reported her to Twitch for allegedly posting sexually suggestive content. This transpired after she cosplayed as Street Fighter's Chun-Li.
Amouranth has recounted similar stories in interviews and streams. During an interview with Syfy, she explained that YouTube channel L of the Day had accused her of lying to her subscribers about her relationship status. After L of the Day published the video, she became a victim of doxxing.
Mrs. Blevins has run into her own problems on Twitch. Jess, who allegedly streams up to four hours a week, told CNBC that she gets many misogynistic comments during her cooking streams. "I have a lot of people who don't think I do much, or don't really care because they'll always just see me as a successful man's wife. I get a lot of bad comments that way," she said. "I get so many people like 'Go make him a sandwich, or park her in the kitchen.'"
Ninja loves to surprise Jess with romantic gestures
Even if Ninja and Jess don't have much time for vacations or dates, they like to surprise each other with small, meaningful gestures. For example, after a weekend out, Jess found some Gatorade and a love note from her husband in the kitchen, which said "because I know you get light headed from long drives." She posted a photo of the romantic kitchen setup on Instagram.
In 2018, Jess shared a photo of her husband on Twitter showing him cooking dinner for their anniversary. Unfortunately, the photo attracted some negative attention and responses, with one commenter turning the photo into a meme with the caption, "Just finished cooking dinner! After we eat I'm gonna beat my wife with this pan!" Apparently, not everyone appreciates the sweet moments.
Another time, Ninja decorated their home with flowers and candles while Jess was away. The streamer documented the romantic gesture on Twitter. While many complimented Ninja and commended his efforts, others still took shots at both Ninja and Jess in the comments.
The Blevins have two Yorkie dogs
The Blevins family has adopted two Parti Yorkies: Navi and Chance. Chance arrived in the couple's home in 2015, as documented on Jess' Instagram profile. She posted a video of the newborn puppy, announcing that she and Tyler were planning on adopting him. Navi joined them almost a year later. "We have decided to get our current puppy a baby sister," wrote Jess on Instagram. "Say hello to Navi!"
As Dexerto reports, one of the dogs once made an appearance on Ninja's Twitch channel and pooped under his chair, right in front of the camera. This episode prompted the streamer and his wife to improvise a fun scene in response. Another time, Ninja bragged to his fans about his dogs' Versace pillows, which led to internet backlash from people who found the accommodations to be a bit much. Even CouRage mocked the Fortnite personality on TimTheTatman's Twitch stream.
Mr. and Mrs. Blevins have a weakness for Louis Vuitton
Jess told to CNBC that she and Tyler love to treat themselves to Louis Vuitton fashion items. In fact, she frequently posts photos of fashion items from the brand on her social media channels. One of her tweets includes a photo of "his and hers " Louis Vuitton sneakers for her and Tyler. Another post celebrates the collaboration between the fashion brand and League of Legends.
As for Ninja, the Twitch celebrity wore a pair of Louis Vuitton Run Away sneakers at the After Unpacked Samsung 837 party, attracting attention from fashionistas. As fashion website Highsnobiety reports, "it was the blue denim monogram detailing on the sneaker that stood out and made the streamer's choice of footwear noteworthy."
Ninja and his wife are regulars at the Louis Vuitton store in New York. "Love the @louisvuitton store in NYC," wrote the streamer on Instagram, "thanks for always taking care of @jessicablevins and I." The couple attended the Louis Vuitton show during Paris Fashion Week in 2019.
Ninja dedicated his book to Jess
On August 20, 2019, Ninja made his debut as a writer with Get Good, a guide on how to become a serious gamer. Jess shared photos of the book on Instagram, including a page with the heartfelt dedication, "For Jessica".
The book got mixed reviews. Gaming journalist Patricia Hernandez wrote on Polygon that Get Good is too general in its information to truly benefit a gamer's skills. "Unfortunately for Blevins, anyone wanting to do things like beef up their streaming setup, put together a computer, or become a better Fortnite builder is probably better off with a Google, YouTube, or Reddit search," says Hernandez. After all, it's pretty difficult to provide evergreen gaming advice in a book. "By the time a book is published, a game like Fortnite has probably changed a dozen times," continues Hernandez, "rending [sic] many tips useless."
According to PC Gamer's Tyler Wilde, Get Good has useful advice about how to interact with teammates in battle royale games.
The couple has a 6,700-square-foot mansion in Chicago
According to CNBC, Jess and Ninja bought a 6,700-square-foot, five-bedroom home in 2018. The house is located in the Chicago suburbs, next to the area where Tyler grew up. Jess told the renowned media outlet that the house has been the couple's only big purchase.
In collaboration with Red Bull, Ninja built a spectacular gaming room in his basement. Red Bull Gaming's official YouTube account posted a video showing the Fortnite streamer designing the room with help from experts. The "Ninja dojo", as Tyler calls the streaming room, is a dream for many gamers. Five TV screens, beautifully arranged on the walls display Ninja's logo. There's also an analyst area with two large screens, where Tyler illustrates game-specific tricks.
In his streaming room, Ninja also has a bar. Not surprisingly, the mini-fridge is stocked with Red Bull cans. The only downside? Like a fan commented on the video, "ninjas electricity bill cost more than everything i own."
In Jess' cooking streams, you can often see the house's kitchen. A Twitter user claims to have found the exact stove model the Blevins own, alleging that it costs over $9,000, "more than a lot of people's car."
The couple reportedly makes over 1 million a month
According to CNBC, Jess earned around $250,000 a year from her job as Ninja's manager and her Twitch streams as of November 2018. Her husband, instead, allegedly made over $1 million a month. These numbers don't include Ninja's deal with Microsoft's Mixer platform.
Justin Warden, CEO of the talent agency Ader, told CNN Business that the deal between Microsoft and the Fortnite streamer "falls in the range of $20 to $30 million." He added that most celebrity streamers get deals in a similar range. Warden worked with Ninja in the past but Loaded, the streamer's current agency, said that he wasn't involved in the deal. Loaded declined to provide CNN Business with more details.
Tyler told CNBC he's investing his money and trying to save as much as possible. However, he also values donating to charity. Dot Esports reports that, during a live stream of YouTuber Lachlan, Ninja donated $30,000 for an Australian bushfire organization. Also, according to Dexerto, during the charity gaming tournament Z Event, the streamer donated around $29,000 to the research organization Institut Pasteur.
Ninja's proposal was adorable
Ninja planned a romantic proposal in front of the Christmas tree. He and Jess were relaxing in their living room, and she was totally unsuspecting. All of a sudden, Ninja got on his knees and pulled the ring out from the collar of one of the puppies.
Luckily for the fans, Jess' parents recorded the moment so she could post the video on her YouTube channel. At the time of writing, the couple's engagement video has over 700,000 views. "And legends say that was his first victory royale," commented a fan on Ninja's engagement video.
Tyler also posted some photos of the engagement ring on Twitter. The ring is definitely stunning, with a large fancy-cut diamond in a pavé setting. Many gaming personalities, including Dr. Disrespect, replied to the Tweet to congratulate the couple.
According to an article published on Red Bull's website, Ninja and Jess got married in August 2017 at Lehmann Mansion in Lake Villa, Illinois. The couple invited about 90 guests.
The couple had Old North Film Company shoot cinematic footage of their wedding
Old North Film Company, a Chicago-based wedding videography firm, created a cinematic video of Jess and Ninja's wedding. The video is publicly available on the company's official YouTube channel and, at the time of writing, it has reached over 1,000,000 views. Having your wedding captured in a cinematic short movie, however, is definitely expensive: according to Old North's official website, video packages range from $2,450 to $4,250.
The video shows a touching speech from a friend of the bride and some unforgettable moments with the couple's respective families. The ceremony was elegant yet intimate, and hearing Ninja's voice crack while he says his vows is sweet and priceless for the fans.