Who Is Clavicular, the Influencer Charged With Rape in Massachusetts?

Braden Peters, the 20-year-old livestreamer known to his million-plus Instagram followers as Clavicular, pleaded not guilty Thursday in Orleans District Court to charges that he raped a 17-year-old girl at his family's home in Chatham, Massachusetts, the Associated Press reported, via The Guardian. Peters has denied the allegation through his lawyers, who say the encounter was consensual.

What is Clavicular accused of doing?

Prosecutors allege Peters gave the teenager two or three shots of vodka until she was drunk, then livestreamed himself kissing her, during a visit to a family home in Chatham, on Cape Cod, in May 2025, according to the AP's reporting carried by The Guardian. The accuser told police she had been paid to appear in Peters' "looksmaxxing" videos, the wire service reported.

What happened at Thursday's arraignment?

Peters arrived at the courthouse in Orleans wearing a dark suit and walking a barking dog on a leash, speaking only to the animal and ignoring reporters' questions, the AP reported. He kept a neutral expression during the brief hearing. He agreed to $10,000 bail, surrendered his passport, and is barred from contacting or posting about his accuser, according to the AP. Neither Peters nor his lawyers commented as he left the courthouse.

What is "looksmaxxing," and why does it matter here?

Peters built his following — more than a million people on Instagram — around hourslong livestreams in which he rates people's looks and promotes "looksmaxxing," discussing methods to improve appearance that include surgery and drug use, the AP reported. That same video work is where the accuser says she met him, after being paid to appear in his content.

Has Peters faced legal trouble before?

Yes. Earlier this year, Florida police charged him with misdemeanor battery after accusing him of provoking a fight between two women and then posting footage of it online; that charge was later dropped, according to the AP. In a separate Florida case this year, he was sentenced to probation after pleading no contest to a charge that he fired a gun in public, the wire service reported.

What happens next?

Timeline

• May 2025: Alleged assault occurs at a Peters family home in Chatham, Massachusetts.
• Earlier in 2026: Florida battery charge filed against Peters, later dropped.
• Earlier in 2026: Florida gun case ends in probation after a no-contest plea.
• Oct. 22, 2026: Peters pleads not guilty to rape in Orleans District Court; released on $10,000 bail.

What to watch

• Whether court filings detail the livestream footage the accuser described to police.
• Compliance with the no-contact, no-posting order tied to the accuser.
• Scheduling of Peters' next court date in Orleans District Court.
• Any further fallout from his prior Florida battery and firearm cases.