Following an anonymous individual’s leveling and retraction of his claim that he had been sexually abused by Funimation anime voice actor Daman Mills when he was just 15 years old, a new development alleges that the entire situation saw “direct interference and unethical by members of the industry” who sought to have the original coverage erased from public memory.
Source: Evangelion: 3.0 You Can (Not) Redo (2014), Studio Khara
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On March 19, Anime News Network Executive Editor Lynzee Loveridge, who called attention to the unnamed man’s claims after speaking with him earlier this month, took to her personal Twitter account to announce that she had something ” what to say about the recent Mills articles because it bothers me enough that I have trouble sleeping.”
File Link Source: Lynzee Loveridge Twitter
“During the week of the retraction and then the subsequent fabrication admission,” Loveridge began, referring to the unnamed man’s apparent March 17 revelation that he made his initial claims because he wanted Mills to “feel sorry for just leaving me,” “a voice actor and director of ADR tried to get ANN to take our articles. The person said that if we didn’t do it, Mills might kill himself and we would have to write about it.”
File Link Source: Lynzee Loveridge Twitter
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The veteran ANN staffer further recalled, “On the day of the retraction, Duncan [a pseudonym used by the individual during his conversations with Loveridge] was doxxed and if the screenshot is authentic, the person who took it probably already knew who he was, or at least shared a mutual friend with him on Facebook.”
File Link Source: Lynzee Loveridge Twitter
“I can say with certainty that the legal communications between Duncan, Mills and their attorney were shared within the industry,” he revealed. “The ADR/VA director had information about those communications that you would only get by reading them. This includes Duncan’s email.”
File Link Source: Lynzee Loveridge Twitter
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“I know his email was shared because Duncan asked me if *I* shared it,” Loveridge continued. “Of course not. It is possible, but not provable (outside what Duncan shared) that she received the same communications that ANN received about removing articles; that doing so could result in suicide.”
File Link Source: Lynzee Loveridge Twitter
He then told his readers: “The letter stating that the allegations were fabricated came a few days after the retraction and was again written in the hope that we would remove the articles.”
File Link Source: Lynzee Loveridge Twitter
“To insiders in the industry and others who pursued that end: This is not how journalism works,” Loveridge said. “In the time since my editor took over ANN, we have only removed two articles. Two in 20 years”.
File Link Source: Lynzee Loveridge Twitter
“When George Takei was accused and then [his] the accuser retracted, those articles were not withdrawn,” he stated firmly. “They were up to date. Same with Kevin Spacey. “History does not cease to exist when history changes.”
File Link Source: Lynzee Loveridge Twitter
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Loveridge later admitted: “Listen, I hate that a very toxic contingent from the internet jumps on this. I knew that would happen the moment the document landed in my inbox in November; at that time it was also sent to Sony and others.”
File Link Source: Lynzee Loveridge Twitter
“I tried to prepare Duncan for this as best I could and from now on I don’t know if I will head articles like this in the future because I don’t think I can adequately protect sources,” he said. “Specifically due to third-party interference at two ends.”
File Link Source: Lynzee Loveridge Twitter
“Direct interference from insiders in the industry is especially unfortunate because it feeds into a larger toxic narrative,” Loveridge said in frustration. “So does manufacturing admission. Frankly, I don’t trust a large number of people anymore, but I trust my gut.”
File Link Source: Lynzee Loveridge Twitter
Ultimately, he made it clear: “I was often able to direct these articles because I have no allegiance to anyone outside of my own integrity and regardless of what others may think, I still have that.”
File Link Source: Lynzee Loveridge Twitter
“Addendum: It’s very possible that this situation would have ended the same way but we’ll never really know due to active attempts at interference and that’s what bothers me,” he added briefly before quelling rumors that one of the members of the industry involved was Vegeta. voice actor Chris Sabat.
File Link Source: Lynzee Loveridge Twitter
“Oh my gosh, it’s not Chris Sabat, absolutely weird,” he concluded.
File Link Source: Lynzee Loveridge Twitter
Given the indirect and ever-developing nature of this situation, it should be explicitly noted that Loveridge’s claim about unprofessional behavior by the Western anime industry does not imply pressuring Duncan to recant, which, to all intents and purposes, seems to have been done. of her own free will, but specifically her attempts to get her to remove her articles on Mills from publication.
Source: One Piece: Stampede (2019), Toei Animation
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