Updates on the Vic Mignogna Lawsuit against Monica Rial, Ronald Toye, Jamie Marchi, and Funimation
We first reported on the defamation lawsuit brought by Voice Actor Vic Mignogna against Monica Rial, Ronald Toye, Jamie Marchi and Funimation back in April, but we’ve only provided minor updates since. A lot as happened in the meanwhile though, so we thought it might be time to jump back into this stuff and provide some updates.
We also want to say that this is going to be a brief summary of only the more notable issues at hand, and not every single legal filing. If you’re looking for a larger deep dive, Anime News Network has gone through over a thousand pages of legal filings and has some comprehensive coverage you can check out.
It’s worth your time if you have it.
The Road So Far
For those who haven’t been paying attention, this case was filed in response to a number of women came forward with stories of sexual harassment from Mignogna. In the wake of those allegations, a number of conventions cancelled Mignogna’s appearances (though a number have since invited him afterwards). Mignogna was also let go from Sony owned Funimation and from his role in Rooster Teeth’s RWBY. People who were frustrated with Mignogna began using the hashtag “#kickvic” on social media in reponse as well (though this hashtag has since been co-opted).
A number of Mignogna’s fans (along with a number of GamerGate-esque individuals who jumped on the bandwagon) responded on social media with the “#IStandWithVic” hashtag, and began harassing anyone who would post anything they deemed even mildly critical of Mignogna. Among those throngs was Minnesota based lawyer Nick Rekieta, who started a GoFundMe ostensibly to raise funds for Mignogna to take legal action against his accusers.
Now none of us at Nerd & Tie are lawyers, but our take from the beginning is and has always been that filing a lawsuit was the surest way for Mignogna to permanently torpedo his own professional reputation. I mean even if the allegations were untrue, what organization would want to risk working with him now when other actors of equal talent are available?
Full Disclosure: Nerd & Tie is currently being sued by convention owner Ryan Kopf in the state of Illinois for defamation. You can find out more information and contribute to our GoFundMe here.
Mignogna, represented by Texas based lawyer Ty Beard, apparently doesn’t see things the same way we do, so they then proceeded to file a complaint in Tarrant County Texas.
While we reported on Funimation’s response to the suit, Marchi, Rial and Toye all filed responses as well.
What’s Happened Since
Quite a bit. Mignogna gave a depositon on June 26th in which he confirmed Marchi’s hair pulling story happened (albeit with a different interpretation). He also admitted to pulling Rial’s hair, though he denies kissing her.
Also there’s a bit around page 126 where, in his own words, he admits to trying to have a threesome with a pair of twins. Which, y’know, is creepy as all get out all on its own.
As the case has drawn on, additional stories have come out about Mignogna — none more notable than the allegations that Mignogna harassed Macross voice actress Mari Iijima. Anime News Network has the full story. I thought about writing up a summary, but honestly… just go read their full piece. It’s worth your time.
In late July Funimation, Marchi, Rial and Toye all filed to have the case dismissed under the TCPA, Texas’s anti-SLAPP law. Originally the judge was set to hear these on August 8th, but Mignogna’s counsel has asked for a continuance. If the Defendants’ motions are successful, this entire case could come to an end very, very soon.
We’ll continue to follow this story as things develop.
You’re queer, man! You’re a little out of your depth to discuss what is and isn’t creepy when it comes to the sexuality of staight people. Banging twins is a fantasy most straight men have had at some point! Vic thought those twins were flirting with him.
How would you like it if you, as a gay man, were being accused of sexual harrassment for the “crime” of accidentally proposing sex to a straight person when you thought they were into you?
1. While I am queer, I am not a “gay man”
2. Literally married to a woman.
3. Incest is not on most of our bucket lists
4. Nor is grooming teenagers.
5. The fact that you don’t find it gross is pretty fucked up, and you can get off of my website forever.
Outside here with no dog in the fight.
So I took a quick look over the situation, and what I see is some really interesting stuff. This Vic guy sounds like he’s being dragged across the stones for some really benign stuff comparatively. Trying to initiate a threesome and pulling hair to pose for a photo seem to be the only allegations that seem to hold water by the author of the linked article, Lynzee (whom if you google search her name only turns up much more of this Vic guy and how much she doesn’t belong in real journalism for her inability to just report).
I also looked the author of this article up and only found that he bases his complete identity on gender identity politics, political affiliations, and a BA in Poli Sci.
Then I took a bit of a closer look at how this author treated people in the comments section. Yikes. Let me try to say this as professionally as possible. This Vic guy is 100% more employable than him/them/whatever it wants to be called.
1. If you’ve read the affidavits and think this is “benign stuff” please stay away from any woman ever, cuz that would make you pretty gross. Like he’s been accused of grooming teenagers and multiple instances of sexual harassment.
2. You “looked me up” huh? Howso? Like I mention my twenty plus years of con staffing way more than my poli sci degree. Did you just read a bio somewhere? (I define my “complete identity” on being cute as hell and smarter than you — so byeeeeee)
3. I have a job. Vic doesn’t. You’re demonstrably wrooooooong. Also, I’m only rude in comments to people who don’t follow our comments policy. So move on, fuck-along-cassidy.
You talk like a tweenage girl.
ok dude. i was gonna give you the benifit of the doubt at coulee con. but im not now. vic has been totally smeared by people on twitter. they have been taking pictures out of context and plastering them claiming that he was assaulting fans in front of people at a conventions here is a perfect example…..
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jii-b8xY6ec
and since you know you are not a lawyer, let me show you a channel that is covering this issue fully. and he is a lawyer
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCbkjX3E0IhuUfPzL0FjSPaw
if you look up anime news network the top trending videos are how anime news networks articles on vic were falsified and how THEY attacked the people that reported on it……
https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=anime+news+network
also the initial anime news network article was slapped down by the very people they tried to censor out of the pictures so they could make a hit piece on vic. the girls he was hugging in the photos came out and said he was a perfect gentleman. AND NOTHING HAPPENED. every time kickvic tries to make a claim it gets knocked down. watch the reporting on it.
i have also watched on rekieta Law the entire deposition of vic, and he in no way ever admitted to PULLING monica’s hair. nothing in the way that she claimed. also if you watch monica’s deposition she claims that the convention orginizer that hosted her and vic asked her if she was ok…. he claimed in a deposition paper he submitted 3 days later that he never noticed any issues in vics room that day and denied the statement that monica gave. maybe if you actually researched your information more you would know what is really going on. your article is just another hit piece that parrots the mainstream bullshit. the defense has provided no PROOF. they used twitter to destroy vic. period. it has been a complete trial by twitter.
o and speaking of the gofundme that nick rekieta started…… he started that AFTER the lawsuit was announced. he decided that after covering the vic situation and covering the richard meyer and mark waid suit, he decided to do something about it. the account is managed by gofundme, and all he did was start it and plug it. and the gofund me has kick vic enraged. kickvic doesnt care about justice they want blood and they want do destroy a man.
this is just like Chris Hartwick. and look what happened there. it came out that his girlfriend (or wife, whatever) was the one abusing him.
or how about the girl that claimed that 2 guys from the football team took turns on her in the bathroom. then during the deposition she admitted she made it up, and is now in jail..
this world is messed up and the proof is right in front of you.
I was willing to give your podcast channel a chance but after i see this crap. i wont give you the time of day anymore
this article shows what side of the fence you are on. im sorry i bothered you at coulee con. it wont happen again.
1. The photos on the current ANN articles include a young woman who has filed an affidavit in the case confirming she was uncomfortable. If your source is an ISWV video, may I recommend actually reading the affidavits.
2. Yes, ISWV has made a lot of videos. That does not make them accurate
3. Nick Rekeita is barely a lawyer, and has literally been wrong about what would happen in this case at every turn.
4. The entire Vic depo video isn’t online. You can read the transcript I posted (that Vic signed as accurate) though.
5. He admitted to pulling Marchi’s hair, not Rial’s. You should read articles before commenting.
6. The gofundme was created prior to the lawsuit. Vic did not have legal counsel until after it started. Linear time exists.
7. The defense has provided multiple affidavits which are legal evidence. The burden pf proof is not on them though, it’s on Vic.
8. Chris Hardwick never alleged Dykstra abused him. What the hell are you talking about.
If you’re listening to Nick Rekeita’s reporting, you’re literally getting bad information about this.
Edit: Oh, wait, you’re the asshole who spent ten minutes telling a queer person how great comicsgate was, and I has to stand there being polite. You can fuck right off my website.
dorn you’re obviously biased and don’t care about getting both sides you just listen to whatever kv leaders say and claim it as truth without evidence or merit to any of the words they say and ann is a joke anyone with common sense will tell you that you should never trust what you read on the internet me i could care less about this whole shit show to me rial marchi schemmel vic and all of the other va’s and nothing but voices of FAKE characters and can easily be replaced
You sure sound like you care though. Sounds like you care a LOT. 😝
Now none of us at Nerd & Tie are lawyers, but our take from the beginning is and has always been that filing a lawsuit was the surest way for Mignogna to permanently torpedo his own professional reputation. I mean even if the allegations were untrue, what organization would want to risk working with him now when other actors of equal talent are available?
Oh, like anyone is ever going to hire him ever again anyway? This is stupid logic.
If anything filing this lawsuit helped him to salvage his reputation. He’s gotten invited to cons again from what I heard.
You mean Anime Matsuri? The con run by a guy with a mountain of proof to his misdeeds towards attendee and guest alike, and by a wife so out of touch and so adamant to attack the victims of her husband’s misconduct she’d been nicknamed “Miss Compliance”?
Yikes.
Side note: don’t they still owe the guy who helped get them started well over $100K, too?