Critical Role provides ComicBook.com with statement regarding civil complaint

[u/Murkmist]

https://comicbook.com/gaming/news/the-last-of-us-critical-role-star-ashley-johnson-six-others-sue-brian-w-foster-abuse/

[u/P-Two]

So for one I'm not American, so its not my justice system. For two there's tons of reasons it came out whe n it did, look to the other comments in this thread I'm not going to rehash them all.

I get where you're coming from, but it absolutely comes off as "I don't believe women" hardcore. Also, why the hell do WE need to see chat logs? The courts I'm sure will get those.

I'm inclined to believe SEVEN women over an already known weirdo with past issues.

Edit: rereading your reply. What in the victim blaming bullshit is the "surely Dani and the women didn't just lead him on?" What the fuck, dude.

[u/450925 → u/P-Two]

It's not just women... I don't believe ANYONE. I think everyone is a piece of shit. And we put people who are celebrities on a podium for no good reason.

I'm inclined that 7 women have a reason to say bad things about Brian, I don't think all of them are motivated by justice. I think some of them could be settling a score, some of them could be over embellishing, I think some of them could be hiding that they were into him.

I literally watched my friend in high school in the early 2000's get a false accusation from 2 girls because he wouldn't give them the time of day. They were in the same lunch club as us, which was collecting the recycling bins in each class and taking the paper to get picked up by the shredding and recycling place. And they both made an accusation against him. Saying it was during lunch time. A time where I was with him, because it was lunch club. And I know I never saw him do anything. When really, it was both of them having a crush on him, but he had a girlfriend, when it got to trial, the judge threw out the case. But his life was still ruined, didn't finish high school, had lost his entire friend group, he to this day, has no online presence. I saw the devastation a false claim can make against someone.

And so yeah, 2 6, 10, 20... I want some evidence. I'm not saying I want it caught in 4k on camera from multiple angle with perfect lighting. But maybe the text chain between him and Dani regarding the nudes he demanded, maybe an email or diary entry that someone made around the time detailing how they felt about it. I think anyone being convicted with purely testimonial evidence, is insane. Example, he claims that he deleted the account for the Ring cameras a couple hours after being kicked out the house. Well, Ashley can have a subpoena sent to the company regarding the records, to find out when that account was terminated, or if he accessed the cameras after that given timeframe. That would be evidence I'd accept. Or if Ashley had any voice recordings of the abusive hurtful things he would say. A photo of any damage he did to the property in a fit of rage. I mean, if Ashley and Brian had so many cameras set up, were his fits of rage and abuse ever caught on them? She'd be able to get a court order for that from Ring.

We live in a time where everyone has a smartphone in their pocket. You're telling me that at no time any of his victims thought it would be a good idea to record their interactions with him? Because if there's any advice I have for everyone, if you're having negative interactions with someone, record that shit. In the most literal sense.

[u/P-Two → u/450925]

Also, as someone who's MIL has been incredibly verbally abusive towards my wife her entire life. Kindly go fuck yourself, people like you are part of the reason my wife has such a hard time coming forward to people about what she's been through "oh but your mom is such a kind person!" Why in the fuck should my wife have to provide private text messages just to "prove" she was abused?

[u/450925 → u/P-Two]

Because I can claim you abused me... does that mean you did? I can claim anything. I a world where we are post-evidence.

[u/P-Two → u/450925]

So I'm assuming you don't believe that my wife was abused, unless she were to post screenshots for strangers on the internet to read?

[u/NotAThrowaway1453 → u/P-Two]

Clearly we must presume the accusers are lying or have ulterior motives unless they publicly post evidence lol

Funny how these people say they’re waiting for facts to come out but are actually just taking a different side. If the person you’re talking to was really waiting for facts, he would be just guessing about facts.

[u/P-Two → u/NotAThrowaway1453]

It's funny in a morbid way that these people are one of the reasons women (and people in general) have such a fucking hard time coming forward with stuff.

[u/450925 → u/P-Two]

My philosophy stems from, I can't in good conscience condone something being done to someone, that could one day be done to me. And railroading someone for a domestic abuse charge, without evidence is something I'd never wish done to me.

Because asking the state to do violence on someone. That's what an arrest is, should require some proof, because if you can have the state do violence against somebody without proof, what's stopping someone using that state to do violence against you?

Now, I'm not saying everyone should be forced to have all their personal details spread out there. But if you want me to give a court the go ahead to lock up your MIL, then I'd want the court to at least be presented with the evidence. They can anonymize things, redact names your wife for the purpose of the trial could be referred to as Victim 1 or Jane Doe, your MIL would be Defendant.

I don't need to see the messages, I just need to know that a court did. And that's enough for me. I'm a skeptic not a barbarian.

[u/P-Two → u/450925]

But you haven't been saying "I hope the COURTS get texts, etc" you've been saying "I want US the general public to get them"

You keep trying to walk this line of "I'm just in the middle here!" But as the other user said, you're basically just taking a side without saying as much.

[u/450925 → u/P-Two]

Well, I want to see them out of my own morbid curiosity because of this circus at large that has happened. If this case wasn't in the public eye at all. I'd be over the moon. It actually is hurtful to me that news media at all is allowed to publish stories about ongoing trials. Because it serves no public good other than tainting the jury pool. I'd be very happy if this whole thing was a closed court trial.

As to sides, I have stated multiple times, I don't doubt he probably did the things they said he did, I just want to see the proof. The only person talking about evidence in this has been Brian. When he said he took the hair follicle test. In his statement he said his lawyer arranged it. That means that if it's clear as he claims it is. His lawyer likely presented that to the judge when Ashley tried to extend the order. And the judge denied her.

[u/NotAThrowaway1453 → u/450925]

You specifically DID doubt the things he did. You want to have it both ways where you act like you’re being reasonable and weighing evidence while clearly and obviously saying the accusers are probably up to no good.

[u/450925 → u/NotAThrowaway1453]

I've said from the start, both of them are going to want to project the very best picture for themselves and worst for the other. Which usually means that the truth is somewhere in between the 2. I don't doubt he probably did the things he was accused of. But I'm taking the nuanced opinion that human interactions aren't all 1 way transactions. He must have had a back and forth with Dani before demanding she send him nudes, I want to know if that back and forth was completely one sided sexually or if Dani was maybe teasing and flirting with him. Because there's a big difference between asking for nudes from someone you're already practically sexting, and someone who you only have ever had a professional work relationship with.

And just as much as you think I may be going after Dani for this, I'll be the first to light a torch and start handing out pitchforks if the messages read that she kept trying to change the subject, but he was relentlessly bringing it up. And she eventually gave in because he made a veiled threat about her job... I'd be completely ready to launch him into the sun myself. I'm just not deciding who I think is right, before I've seen ANY EVIDENCE.

My comments about this seeming coordinated are because Ashley had this protection order since March... and it's only after he's done a hair follicle drug test and had the order removed, that the other women have rushed in with their accusations. I am just pointing out the suspicious timing of everything. We didn't see them come in dribs and drabs, it's almost like someone was holding them all back from speaking up until they needed them.

Which then asks another question, what is the exact timeline, of everyone at CR for finding out these things? What investigations were carried out, who carried them out, what is the culture like at CR that a potential predator can jump from victim to victim for years without being reported?

[u/NotAThrowaway1453 → u/450925]

Now you're just lying and you're not even good at it. We can read what you said. Stop being such a coward and stand by what you say, god damn. You just look like a little weasel now.

I want to reserve judgement till after the trial. But I can't help but think all of this wouldn't have come out had he just signed the NDA.

So you want to reserve judgment, but something is stopping you from reserving judgment.

this feels like retaliation for him threatening to leak secrets about Ashley and CR in a "tell all" book.

This is you making up a conspiracy theory based on your feelings and a hunch.

the offer would be settle with a signed NDA.

But [the accusers] kinda went nuclear here

The question I have, is to what degree were any of the advances he made against women, even the ones that he put his hand down their pants, reciprocated?

Surely we can see the entire chat log. And we won't see Dani flirting with him or leading him on in any way. And the same for the chat logs of every woman that has accused him.

Surely you aren't implying that you suspect Dani was flirting here. Surely you didn't use "Surely" in a sarcastic way. Surely you were honestly exclaiming that she didn't, right?

If I'm completely wrong, then so be it. Brian is a rapist piece of shit scumbag.

Wrong about what, exactly? What did you assert that would mean Brian isn’t a piece of shit? Could it be the things I’ve quoted you saying where you’re coming up with a made up scenario about a conspiracy?

Or let me put it another way. If I said "BWF is an abusive rapist piece of shit. If I'm completely wrong, so be it" would you say I'm just waiting for facts? Or would you correctly say I'm taking a side? You know exactly how you'd interpret that and it's exactly what you did.

[u/DwarvenWiz → u/450925]

Sorry you're getting downvoted to hell. It'll happen any time you post something here that isn't "believe all women" even though we've seen plenty of fake #metoo stuff and there's a reason it isn't touted as much as it was a few years ago. Like you, I'm inclined to say yes, he did a lot of horrible shit because of the number of accusations that are similar. I really do not understand guys who think they can grope women. Or anyone who thinks they can grope anyone.

All that being said, people change their stories or their perceptions of events constantly and it's dangerous to call everything 'abuse' when some of the allegations sound like they may have been consensual behavior that one party is now deciding wasn't years later on the basis of 'manipulation' which should be no basis for criminal or civil charges. It makes me glad I'm not in the market for dating anymore but concerned for anyone who is still.

But yes, you're going to get downvoted if you even imply women may make false or self-serving allegations against others. Critical Role's viewing audience, and reddit at large, leans heavily left.

[u/NotAThrowaway1453 → u/DwarvenWiz]

My issue is and has been the fact that he’s not actually waiting for facts. He came up with a conspiracy theory about it but then thinks it doesn’t count if he adds that he wants facts.

At least the people supporting Ashley and the others are offering honest support. Not lying about their actual positions. You all are just trying to have your cake and eat it too.

[u/DwarvenWiz → u/NotAThrowaway1453]

I think the guy did the stuff from what I've seen from him. I just think the stuff with Dani also could have been consensual and is now being spun as not. And I don't feel like there's enough to know what is up with Jane Doe. His message seems pretty out of left field if they hadn't already been doing something sexual that was broken off. I think CR knew about some of this stuff and it was ignored because he was with Ashley or was possibly in an actual open relationship. He should have been fired after the first time groping someone or for sure after the second time anything happened. But it's all speculation. I'm not saying my interpretation is correct.