hey. if someone tries to smear you on the internet for something asinine, what you need to do is block every single person engaging with the post and remind yourself that absolutely under no circumstances are you obligated to draft a PR response defending some out-of-context screenshot or kink fanfiction or thing you said when you were 15 or whatever put your blood in the water. you are not a public figure or a brand. you do not have to respond to something if you know in your heart it is bullshit.
Keep your cool, minimize the damage, and only make amends to those you owe it to.
Lots of good advice in the link above, but the one line that really sticks out to me: Don’t try to satisfy a public that is setting out not to be satisfied.
