Disturbing Allegations regarding Vic Mignogna

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Disturbing Allegations regarding Vic Mignogna

Post by Aurabolt »

Without mentioning specific incidents that may have pending litigation in progress, Anime Boston has a good track record regarding people from the industry being accused of sexual misconduct during, at or outside a Convention. Vic's situation has people split and on a personal note, I am disappointed but not surprised his longtime fan club continues to blindly defend him despite the serious nature of the allegations.

For those who don't know--and I just learned this myself--Vic is being accused of unsolicited inappropriate or intimate physical contact by congoers, some of them under 18. Apparently, he's been blacklisted by several cons because of the allegations too,

Here's a Link to the full article: https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/intere ... Wqqfh6x2ks

An excerpt from the article:

...Where is the line for appropriate guest and attendee behavior and what should be done when it's crossed?

These questions came to the forefront of social media these last weeks as rumors about convention guests and staff interactions with minors stopped being whispered and instead were shouted. A Twitter thread posted on January 16 accused dub voice actor Vic Mignogna of homophobia, rude behavior, and most concerning, making unwanted physical advances on female con-goers. The thread quickly spread with over 4,000 retweets at the time of this writing and over 400 comments, many relaying their own negative experiences, including unwanted and unsolicited physical affection from the Fullmetal Alchemist voice actor. As with any claims involving a person with a moderate fan following, Mignogna's supporters were quick to attempt to discredit individuals' claims or at the very least dispute the voice actor's intentions behind kissing or hugging attendees unannounced.
Another excerpt from the same article:

Multiple individuals, many with friends present to corroborate, relayed their personal encounters with Mignogna with an increasingly common series of events. A fan would be in Mignogna's autograph line to get a piece of merchandise signed for a friend. Upon approaching Mignogna, they would make typical small talk before he would ask the attendee if they wanted a photo. They would agree and would unexpectedly find the voice actor kissing their cheek or pulling them in for a tight hug for the photo op. Time and again, the individuals in the picture said that the physical affection happened without their consent and made them uncomfortable. The behavior wasn't limited to one con, one person, or even one year, and for all intents and purposes seemed like a common occurrence regardless of whether the other party was a young adult or a minor. It was often done in the wide-open areas of conventions and to the cheers of crowds.


One more excerpt:

Mignogna also assured his fans that the statements being made wouldn't be seriously considered by others in the business. His claim of course, wasn't entirely baseless. Rumors about Mignogna's alleged behavior toward con-goers and supposed outbursts at fellow voice actors and con staff have been shared within insider circles for over a decade. While researching this article, I kept learning of more conventions that supposedly "blacklisted" Mignogna from ever returning. Yet, any attempts to reach out to long-time staff for each event were met with silence. If the rumors were true, no one with any kind of power in the industry was willing to talk about it.

It is worth noting Vic did issue a written statement regarding the allegations against him via Twitter and it is included in the linked article. That was before someone from the industry apparently came forward a few days later.

I would like to know if Anime Boston staff are aware given it sounds like his behavior has been known for over a decade.
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Re: Disturbing Allegations regarding Vic Mignogna

Post by Faceman »

Mr. Mignonga has not been a Guest of Honor at Anime Boston since 2006. None of the reported allegations, as far as we are aware, occurred at Anime Boston. As such, we have no comment regarding these reports at this time.

That being said, Anime Boston and the New England Anime Society takes all reports of harassment and assault, whether sexual in nature or not, very seriously. If you are the victim of, or witness, harassment or assault at Anime Boston, we strongly encourage you to contact our staff as soon as possible.

On-site you can find our primary Security Office in Hynes 109 during open hours of the Hynes Convention Center. After hours our Overnight Security Office is located in the Sheraton 2nd Floor, Liberty B/C (near the entrance to the Grand Ball Room). You can also approach any Anime Boston staff member (identified by their blue, orange, or red staff shirt) and ask for assistance. They will escort you to our security team.

You may also reach our security team at security@animeboston.com.

We work closely on-site with the Boston Police Department and Massachusetts Convention Center Authority Security to respond to issues.

We are committed to providing an enjoyable experience for everyone who attends Anime Boston. Everyone's personal safety is of utmost importance to achieving that goal.
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Re: Disturbing Allegations regarding Vic Mignogna

Post by Xias »

Want to thank everyone at AB for being proactive and keeping people safe. I know you can't say if the persistent whispers about Vic is what lead to you not inviting him since 2006 (these accusations go way back; anyone who knows anyone who works for a con has probably heard something), but either way, sincere thank you for that as well.
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Re: Disturbing Allegations regarding Vic Mignogna

Post by Aurabolt »

"Whispers" isn't the word I would use. Those who spoke up before were silenced or ignored because of the man involved. The list of people made uncomfortable by interactions with him are both female and male--many of them fellow voice actors.

See this: https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/intere ... XOvhQIPoZs

Like I said in my first post, Anime Boston has a very good track record when it comes to topics like this and I do think there should be a panel this year to discuss the matter. I certainly wouldn't mind running such a panel but I think it would be much more powerful if an AB Staff member or even better, someone from the industry took point on doing such a panel.

Chris probably can't say it publicly yet but the allegations going back over 10 years is the most likely reason why Vic has never been invited back and more so after the incident involving Tom Wayland and a then staff member a few years ago. Many cons have blacklisted Vic over the years and these two articles are going to make sure more and more people are at least aware.
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Re: Disturbing Allegations regarding Vic Mignogna

Post by Xias »

Aurabolt wrote: Tue Feb 05, 2019 9:16 am "Whispers" isn't the word I would use. Those who spoke up before were silenced or ignored because of the man involved. The list of people made uncomfortable by interactions with him are both female and male--many of them fellow voice actors.
I'm aware. I wasn't necessarily talking about people who tried to speak up publicly and were silenced, but rather the people who talked about him in private for many years ("the whisper network" is how things like this have been described over the years, which is more what I meant). Again, having had friends on staff at a few different cons for over a decade, I've heard plenty of rumors and stories about his behavior. But people who are not the ones who experienced it first-hand can't exactly go public with the stories. Publicly accusing someone of something based on second- third- or fourth-hand information you have no way of confirming is a great way to get sued.
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Re: Disturbing Allegations regarding Vic Mignogna

Post by BreadCosplay »

In response to allegations some people have started threatening to harass VAs and members of the industry at conventions. https://twitter.com/NJ4K1/status/1093539561345404928

I really wanted to bring this to the attention of con staff.
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Re: Disturbing Allegations regarding Vic Mignogna

Post by Faceman »

As I mentioned before, Anime Boston and the New England Anime Society take all forms of harassment and assault seriously. If you are the victim of or witness such incidents please report it to Anime Boston staff immediately.

If someone is harassing or assaulting anyone, whether a guest, industry personnel, convention staff, or another attendee, we will take actions to resolve the situation, possibly including expulsion from the convention, a permanent ban, and/or contacting the Boston Police.
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Re: Disturbing Allegations regarding Vic Mignogna

Post by Aurabolt »

I know you can't comment directly on this mater Chris--at least not in this way because of what you do--but the reminder is still greatly appreciated.
CompressedBread wrote: Sat Feb 09, 2019 12:02 am In response to allegations some people have started threatening to harass VAs and members of the industry at conventions. https://twitter.com/NJ4K1/status/1093539561345404928

I really wanted to bring this to the attention of con staff.
...That's a serious problem and concern. While as usual Twitter threats like this that are generalized and non-sepecific, I don't like hearing this because then conventions need to adjust accordingly. I am unclear on the protocol but presumably when AB gets a credible tip on a planned disruption, they will respond as appropriate in kind.
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Re: Disturbing Allegations regarding Vic Mignogna

Post by Aurabolt »

WOKENoneSHAZAM wrote: Mon Feb 25, 2019 10:35 am I know in the discord chat for con creeper confidential people such as Richard James Mochi are trying to fabricate and slander Vic even more. There’s a whole section on him in there.

https://discord.gg/gCmJ9Dc
I'm not talking about baseless accusations, which is a whole other thing.

I'm talking about well documented incidents involving Vic.
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Re: Disturbing Allegations regarding Vic Mignogna

Post by Kalyoth »

In this day & age, with how society has been made by all the players & parties involved on all sides, the assumption of guilty until proven innocent has to prevail for liability reasons. It's a terrible reflection of our society. However, it is the current reality. It only takes one bad apple to ruin the pie...

No matter the resolution, there will always be those unhappy afterwards. When you are a public figure, it's a no win situation. Once the door is opened, it's all over forever. There is no reset button. Best to just let a court resolve it & move on from there.
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Re: Disturbing Allegations regarding Vic Mignogna

Post by Faceman »

As Anime Boston has no additional official statements at this time, I am locking this thread. Thank you, everyone.
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