As far as I can tell, it did. Let’s look at the post in question:
First of all, if you didn’t mean for it to poke/needle someone, then why use the different spelling at all? That’s not how his name is spelled.
Even if your next point is “it’s how it’s pronounced”, you still clearly meant to draw attention to it because you put it in italics. There would be no reason to put it in italics unless you wanted it to be noticed.
It’s pretty much just like THIS case not too long ago was, where it was decided you can’t call Half Man Half Wit “half wit”, even though that’s his name. Name or not, using it in a way that can be a shot at someone falls under insults easily.
Claiming you didn’t mean it as a little dig on him is pretty ridiculous.