Hi there folks. I really did not intend to make this blog a regular update situation. I intended for the information to be out there for those to read and that really be the end of it. But a number of noteworthy things have happened and I feel they are worth talking about.
Please repost this if you see this.
Nothing in this post is legal advice directed to anyone or from anyone. I am not a lawyer. I know lawyers, I have spoken with lawyers, I am reading what lawyers have to say ā but this is not legal advice.
I am here expressing my opinion on this situation and how it has been handled.
At no point in talking about this, in any correspondence on this blog, my twitter, or my Instagram, has my intent been malicious. I am not talking about all of this with the intention of saying any of it to harm Michael, or any members of Steam Powered Giraffe. And I would venture to say that Bunny and David, when theyāve spoken about what Michaelās done, also had no intention of harming Michael by speaking about this. It is a pervasive and toxic myth that the vast majority of people who would ever speak out about abuse have something to gain from doing so. I have absolutely nothing to gain from this. Even in my personal life ā non-anonymously, I have nothing to gain from this. I am putting myself at risk of retaliation in various forms. I am doing this because I care about the people Michael harmed, myself included ā and they all, we all, deserve the respect and dignity of people knowing what happened in our path to healing and recovery from the lasting harm caused by Michael.
I was informed by multiple people, publicly, and privately/anonymously that Michael has threatened legal action against Steam Powered Giraffe LLC and has used the word ālibelā to describe what legal action he may choose to take. This is likely the reason Bunny chose to delete her tweets about Michael. I have been asked to remove the public conversation around this. I am not going to do so. The person who publicly mentioned this to me deserves no negative attention for doing so. The access fans and supporters get to SPG when becoming patrons is merely a paywall.
So letās talk about Michaelās response, and letās talk about libel. Libel is the legal term for written defamation of character. The legal definition of defamation is as such: āGenerally, defamation is a false and unprivileged statement of fact that is harmful to someoneās reputation, and published āwith fault,ā meaning as a result of negligence or malice. Libel is a written defamation.ā
Steam Powered Giraffe has mentioned on public posts on Patreon that Michael has ādenied everythingā. Steam Powered Giraffe has mentioned on public posts on Patreon, verbatim: āThe evidence is far from unfounded. Itās all damning and there is no ifs, ands, or buts about it. The evidence is overwhelming.ā (sic)
I do not know who all has reached out to Steam Powered Giraffeās members and what they have all come forward with about what Michael has done. I only know what I have experienced, what I have personally witnessed (in person, and online/over the phone), and what I have been told (and shown, in photos, texts, chatlogs, etc) from other victims. I have no reason to believe Steam Powered Giraffe is hyperbolizing, exaggerating, or making anything up about the situation. I also have made no hyperbole or exaggeration. To my knowledge, there is a significant amount of evidence and a significant number of victims to prove that Michael has caused the harm that has been spoken about. There is no indication that Steam Powered Giraffe has posted anything that is not true about him in this situation. That in and of itself, nullifies the idea that there is libel occurring.
In addition to this ā as I said earlier, I have nothing to gain from this. I am at risk of more harm in this. Steam Powered Giraffe as an entity also has nothing to gain from this. From what theyāve said, it appears they have not been working with Michael for a while, and while I imagine some sort of legal residual financial situation for royalties will have to remain in place, what I cannot imagine is that Steam Powered Giraffe is paying Michael so much in royalties that they would lie or seek to tarnish his image just to find a way not to pay him. Steam Powered Giraffe is also at risk for talking about him, and it is a financial risk to put their reputation on the line for being associated with him for a number of years to talk about this.
In my opinion, Michaelās threat is at best, an empty one, and at worst, a foolish one. Legal action of any kind is expensive. From what Iāve read, a libel/defamation lawsuit can cost on average $15,000, over a process of at the least $1,000 a month to pursue. Not to mention Michael is not in the US anymore, and weāre in the middle of a pandemic where legal cases are not as easy to just initiate and process. In addition to this, much of what Michael has done, that I can personally state I know there is proof of, was and is illegal. Statutory rape, possession and distribution of illegal drugs, providing alcohol to minors ā all of these things were and are illegal. To initiate a process where Steam Powered Giraffe would be in a position to present the burden of proof of what heās done, would be a significant risk to āopen up a can of wormsā, so to speak. It would not be in Michaelās best interest financially or personally to pursue legal action against Steam Powered Giraffe LLC or anyone talking about the things he has done.
It is not uncommon for perpetrators of abuse to threaten legal action in an attempt to silence victims and those who would bring their actions to light. In the case of directly attempting to silence victims, there are laws called Anti SLAPP laws. SLAPP stands for āA strategic lawsuit against public participation is a lawsuit intended to censor, intimidate, and silence critics by burdening them with the cost of a legal defense until they abandon their criticism or opposition. In the typical SLAPP, the plaintiff does not normally expect to win the lawsuit. ā These laws and these types of lawsuits typically are talking about domestic violence cases wherein an abusive spouse threatens legal action to try to prevent a victim from seeking help and talking about the abuse theyāve experienced or are experiencing. This does not apply directly here, but it is an indicator that these behaviors from abusive people are not necessarily a rare occurrence.
I have some grievances about how Steam Powered Giraffe ā namely David and Bunny, are handling this situation. Is it reasonable for the Bennetts to make sure to cover their brand and their *assets*? Absolutely. But not everything is black and white. I believe that not enough is being done by David and Bunny to appropriately make it known the harm Michael has caused. This is a morality issue, and I know not everyone has the same morals as I do, but I would hope with the things David and Bunny appear to stand for, that they would care more about Michaelās victims than Michaelās threats or the potential at Steam Powered Giraffe being looked at negatively by being associated with Michael. Hereās the thing ā Michaelās harm cannot be divorced from his associated with Steam Powered Giraffe, and Steam Powered Giraffe handling this appropriate and respectfully would make people who care about things like this respect and admire SPG more. Currently, it feels as though SPG is more committed to doing the absolute bare minimum and focusing the rest of their attention on protecting themselves from a perceived threat as opposed to caring about the severity of the situation and doing their part to help the victims.
David said, in a tweet on July 3rd: (I have not checked to see if this tweet is still up) āIād trade everything with Steam Powered. Giraffe if it meant I could go back in time and stop Mike from joining the band in 2009, so he might not hurt anyoneā
David said on a tweet on June 30th āI feel sick having hired him for gigs in 2017, knowing this all nowā and in another tweet āTo know what he was actually doing sickens meā
Bunny has also stated a number of emotional and remorseful things which have mostly since been deleted:
She stated that she āalmost couldnātā love him anymore (in the past) because of āthe sheer panic attacksā she got āaround him and fansā
She said āI know the band wasnāt harboring an abuser knowingly or anything like that, but itās hard not to feel like I was. I will be asking myself that for. The rest of my life. I shouldāve said something. I should of stood my ground. We had nothing to go off of except an irate fan and a girl who didnāt want to press charges or do anything about itā
Bunny also said ā presumably on behalf of SPG as a whole: āWeāre talking, weāre listening, and weāre horrified at the accusations against Mikeā
She also said āI canāt express my disgust. I canāt express the rage and hurt I have inside of me boiling upā and āI will fucking tear down this band and burn it to the ground if that gets the fucking bile out of my mouthā and āIām watching this bastion of hope we created be sordid by someone we let in⦠gave the benefit of doubt to⦠MULTIPLE TIMES. I donāt know if SPF will ever be the same for me ā every guitar lick⦠every phat beat he wrote. Tainted.ā
David said in a tweet āWe stand with the victims who have come forward to us privately, publicly, and those that havenāt.ā
Bunny said āThis is something that will haunt for years. Iām personally energized to spend the remainder of my life contrary to what Mike and people like Mike do. When the world heals and touring begins again, know that if you take advantage of our audience, we will be there with other performers like us to hold you accountable. And our audience. And your audience.ā
On July 12th, Bunny said āThe best part of this is that Steve and Mike get away scot free. They donāt get their comeuppance. I dunno if āvengeanceā is the way to live life, but I know for a fact the next decade is going to be spent finding my own happiness in truth and loyalty.ā āMike has denied it all, even in the fact of damning evidence. We gave him the benefit of doubt too, and we contacted his family. No regrets, no justice in the slightest. And there are still people singing his praisesā. She goes on: āTrying to describe my feelings on Steve and Mikeās behavior and how for years Iāve defended them⦠all the while being lied to is⦠heartbreaking to say the least. I know things are confusing, but you canāt make this shit upā
On the specifics of Michaelās behavior: āMikeās stuff is so much worse. I was afraid Mikeās underage grooming habits would be somehow lessened or forgotten in the wake of Steveās behavior back in the day⦠which while deplorable, have at least been owned up to.ā āStringing together tweets is the worst way to address all this, but I suppose a video about it or something down the line is called for. Right now Iām far too upset and rattled to reflect on it all. I donāt know how SPG will be salvaged from all thisā.
Why am I repeating all of this? I want it to be cleared that David and Bunny expressed remorse, disgust, regret, anger, grief, shame in all of this. I see that. I acknowledge that. And in seeing these statements, I trusted them to handle this in the best way they could manage. But it also needs to be acknowledged that there has been a harmful failure on their part in how theyāve responded beyond these tweets. I am not the expert on how best to handle horrible situations like this, but as both a victim and an ally to other victims and a person who has been a fan of SPG before, I think I know enough to say that not enough has been done, and inaction in and of itself causes harm as well.
Iād also like to address the unfortunate situation that David and Bunny maintain they had no prior knowledge of Michaelās behavior. Hereās the thing: while I 100% believe they did not know all of the details of all of the harm Michael caused, there were definitive patterns and red flags and there needs to be actual accountability around this. Bunny said that the band gave Michael the benefit of doubt multiple times. She also said that Michael was caught and reprimanded for kissing a teenage fan in 2011. If my math is correct, at the time Michael wouldāve been 25 and the fan was 17. Thatās nearly a decade of difference, despite the fan being almost 18. On top of this, this was a fan and a minor and not only is there a power dynamic at play with age but also setting and influence. Bunny also mentioned Michael had been reprimanded for being ātoo friendlyā around fans as young as 14. As an adult in my 20s, if I had a peer and friend my age who had a pattern of getting friendly with teenagers and minors of any age, that would be a huge red flag. Let ALONE a bandmate, a coworker or sorts ā or technically a contractor level employee. I would see anyone like that as a liability I could not take the risk of associating with, and as a likely dangerous man to be around. That was an entire decade ago, and nothing was done beyond a slap of the wrist. On top of this, as someone who was Michaelās friend, I went to multiple Steam Powered Giraffe shows to support him. I also was apart of online fan communities as well. I saw how visible he was with his predatory āfriendlinessā towards young fans, and I saw fans gossip about his friends and give them a sort of adjacent celebrity status as well. While I was young and being manipulated myself and not in a position to prevent harm ā I am saying this to state that I witnessed the public visibility of Michaelās predatory behavior. I take issue with the claim that there were no signs and that no one couldāve prevented this sooner. Iāve seen some fans say that Michael wouldāve āalways been this wayā and found ways to harm other people had he not been in Steam Powered Giraffe. While this could be true, it cannot be denied that being apart of a successful band like Steam Powered Giraffe that gained a cult status online and in the local scene and had a significant YEARS of DAILY exposure in a family setting to minors, cultivating a fandom of a significant amount of younger fans, giving Michael the upper hand of minor celebrity and influence, travel, etc, cannot be divorced from this situation. This is not inherently Bunny or Davidās fault. But it is a factor in the breadth of harm Michael was able to do, and it is a factor in knowing there were opportunities for him to have had the resources he gained and used to cause harm pulled from him much sooner than now, when he has already removed himself from the band as it stands.
The past is the past. It cannot be changed. As David and Bunny both lamented that theyād go back and stop things if they couldāve, well yes, to a degree, there were opportunities to prevent further harm, but itās too late now. Now is the time to make things right, and to prevent the potential for further harm.
Currently ā there is absolutely not enough publicly visible and available information on the harm Michael has caused on Steam Powered Giraffeās social media presence. This is made worse by the fact that consistent promo and every day band stuff creates a wider and wider gap between the leftover posts about Michaelās abuse on Twitter, Facebook, and Patreon. It is now becoming a game of chance whether a fan of Steam Powered Giraffe will know what Michael has done. I have seen numerous posts and tweets from fans asking what happened, saying they are confused and in the dark. It has been less than 3 weeks since Bunny first tweeted about this, and it cannot fade to memory.
It is unfair and grotesque for fans of all ages, including children and parents of children, to unknowingly hold Michael dear in their hearts as an admirable, safe, kindhearted person ā without knowing what he has done. It is unfair to not let people decide for themselves whether they still look up to him, whether they still admire him, whether they still support him. Michaelās victims cannot safely have a platform to speak openly about his violence without harming themselves by being exposed to backlash and being triggered by repeated exposure to their traumas out in the open. However, Michaelās victims deserve to have their voices heard, their grievances aired, and deserve to get some slight respite after years of abuse at least knowing that what they suffered is no longer a secret and people are not *unknowingly* offering praise and fame to someone who has done such disgusting and lastingly harmful things.
Bunny expressed that Steve and Michael got off āscot freeā and that there was āno justiceā. I am not advocating that SPG or myself or any of Michaelās victims be the ones to make any attempt at giving Michael consequences for his actions or enacting justice. However, Bunny and David can do things to make the burden of harm lighter.
Here is what I believe can and should be done, at the least, to do the right thing in this situation:
-SPG needs to make public statement(s) about Michaelās harmful actions on ALL public social media. Not just Patreon and not just the statements that have already been made. These statements should not be deleted.
-Michaelās likeness should be removed from all SPGās media, within the realm of whatever royalties or residual contractual obligations will allow
-SPG should take a moratorium on normal fandom posts: promotion posts, art prompts, casual band updates on band specific pages. Every promo post, every art prompt, every band announcement will detract further and bury the information if not given the space and respect to allow the information to be seen and processed. The moratorium should at the very least last a week, if not more.
-I and Michaelās victims that I know would appreciate the original statement of harm reposted on Steam Powered Giraffeās social media. Ā I remind David and Bunny that doing so does not make them legally liable for MY statement, and some fans who have read this statement have also directly encouraged SPG to repost. David and Bunnyās words cannot properly convey the direct harm caused to Michaelās victims. The victims deserve to be heard directly. Using Steam Powered Giraffeās platform to make this known, the same platform that helped enable Michael to cause harm, is a respectful course of action.
-I also encourage David and Bunny to reflect on their role in allowing Michael to āget away scot freeā in this. I have no specifics of personal accountability to ask of them, but I do encourage them to not focus on guilt or shame that cannot be fixed, but to really process this and do what they can to learn and grow from this and not allow the chance of letting harm occur again.
I know this was an extremely long post, and if you stuck through it all, thank you.
I hope that actions are taken in the right direction, and I hope I will have less commentary to offer on the situation in the future so I can focus on healing. Ā