Joe Vargas · @AngryJoeShow
23rd Jun 2020 from TwitLonger
Statement from Angry Joe
It has come to my attention that someone I met at a public event more than two years ago, and I have had no contact with since, is now suddenly leveling allegations against me on social media. I want to be absolutely clear. These allegations are not true and anyone who looks at the facts can plainly see that. I have no idea why this person has decided to do this at this time but the fact that a defamatory smear posted on the Internet can ruin lives these days compels me to make this statement.
Here are the facts. This person approached me and my colleagues at a Twitch Party introducing herself as a fellow content creator who was interested in hanging out and networking. We exchanged Twitter handles. She then DM’ed me that same night at 2:16 am asking to see me again. I agreed and invited her to my public panel the next day then to a YouTube dinner meeting with account managers afterward. She showed up to my panel with a male friend who was more than welcome to join us at any point throughout the rest of the day or night after the panel concluded.
After my panel, we met up with my friend Other Joe and we all traveled together to the hotel where she chose to wait while I showered and got ready for the dinner. At no point did anything improper happen. I never offered or suggested sex. At the meeting I helped her network her channels with YouTube partner managers. After the dinner my friends and I attended another party in a public place. She tagged along. At the party she checked her bag/belongings. At no point did I ever take her phone or purse or deny her access to them. In fact she posted photos to her Twitter of her with other people throughout the night. I never grabbed, dragged, pushed, pulled, cornered, or spun her in any direction as she claims. I did not make her stay by my side at all times as she claims. We mingled at the party separately much of the time.
All of these facts can be confirmed by numerous people who were there that evening and her own account confirms these events. In her post she claims that she believed that I was pressuring her for sex. This is completely untrue. I never suggested sex, I never spoke about sex. I never touched her inappropriately. She is a grown up and we were out in public and she could have left at any time. I was just trying to help someone who had expressed interest in the industry and my show. I never imagined that this could be a bad thing.
Sexual assault is an alarming accusation and should always be taken seriously. If I or anyone had committed an offense then it should be reported to the police and investigated thoroughly. I urge this person to do that if she believes an offense occurred so I can clear my name. However instead of affording me due process, she decided to post false claims out of the blue more than two years later. The consequence is damage to not only my reputation, career, and brand, but also those whom I employ, my friends and my family – all because many people don’t bother to examine the facts, only the salacious headline.
This is now a serious legal matter. On the advice of my attorneys, all my future statements about this will be through the legal process. My lawyers are sending this person a cease and desist letter. Of course she is free to express her opinions about me all she wants. What she is not allowed to do is lie about me or defame me to the public and suggest that I am a sexual predator when I am not. If her defamation continues, I will be forced to take further legal action.
I have been in the public eye for 12 years now and all of this frustrates me so much because fabricated and embellished stories like hers do a disservice to victims of sexual harassment and abuse. I want to thank those who resisted the temptation to rush to judgment and took the time to look at the facts. Thank you for your support.