Social media influencer Braden Peters pleads not guilty to rape charge

TikTok and Instagram influencer Braden Peters, who operates under the name Clavicular and promotes the "looksmaxxing" trend, entered a not-guilty plea to felony rape, drugging an individual for sexual intercourse and providing alcohol to a minor. The charges relate to an alleged assault of a 17-year-old girl at his family’s home in Chatham, Massachusetts, in May 2025. Peters maintains the encounter was consensual.

A court on Thursday set his bail at $10,000, ordered him not to contact or post about the accuser, and required him to surrender his passport. His next hearing is scheduled for 24 November, when a judge will determine whether the case will proceed.

"The victim appeared unable to consent because of her age and the level of intoxication shown in the livestream," a police officer who took the report said.

Peters, who has more than a million followers, has previously attracted media attention for self-administered procedures and stunts, including using a hammer on his face and taking steroids to alter his appearance. Earlier in the year, he faced a Florida charge after filming himself shooting at a dead alligator and pleaded no contest to unlawfully discharging a firearm in public. In March, he was arrested on suspicion of battery in a separate incident, though authorities later announced no charges would be filed. After the hearing, Peters posted a courtroom photo wearing a black suit and tie while holding his dog.