Michael Avenatti dropped the sworn statement from his client, Julie Swetnick, about her interactions with Brett Kavanaugh in the early 1980s. It’s devastating. She needs to testify before the Judiciary Committee as well. [Avenatti’s Twitter]
If Duchess Kate recycled a coatdress for Meghan’s wedding, then Kate absolutely wore white to Meghan’s wedding. [Dlisted]
Happy birthday to Lainey & Serena Williams. [LaineyGossip]
Taraji P. Henson always looks like she’s having the best time. [Go Fug Yourself]
Twitter founder Jack Dorsey is dating a beautiful young model. [The Blemish]
More commentary on Brett Kavanaugh and the vote. [Pajiba]
Are bowl cuts “good”? Or are they, like, all-over bangs? (NSFW) [Jezebel]
Kenya Moore already has a baby name picked out. [Reality Tea]
Christina Blasey Ford told four people about Brett Kavanaugh’s assault. [Buzzfeed]
I’m still not interested in Joaquin Phoenix’s budget Joker. [Looper]
Below is my correspondence to Mr. Davis of moments ago, together with a sworn declaration from my client. We demand an immediate FBI investigation into the allegations. Under no circumstances should Brett Kavanaugh be confirmed absent a full and complete investigation. pic.twitter.com/QHbHBbbfbE
— Michael Avenatti (@MichaelAvenatti) September 26, 2018
My dear, old-school mom was huge on “why didn’t they come forward at the time? Why wait until years later? They must be lying” and so I shared my stories with her, some harder to say out loud then others. I revealed that my son, her amazing grandson, is a product of rape. I shared with her why I never came forward or told at the time, for that and for other things I’ve been through. I wanted to throttle her at first, but instead sat patiently and watched as her lightbulb moment shone bright. Tears streaming down her cheeks, she got it. She truly got it. People who don’t get it have never been through it, they don’t understand, though some are more empathetic and still believe, others don’t. And though I shouldn’t have to explain myself, why I didn’t go to the police or tell my story, I did. And something beautiful happened because of it. These women need to be believed, their stories need to be heard.
So brave, Librakitty. And a beautiful story, thank you.
I see so much on social media about people surprised by how widespread sexual assault is. It feels like they’ve been living in parallel but completely different worlds.
Thank you for your words, I wish you well. I believe you and respect your journey, and I think you are really brave to use your experience to help others to be more empathetic and not minimize other victims experiences.
@REALLY that is just the most perfect response ever. I am totes going to borrow this. You are winning at life, friend.
Wow. I am sorry you went through that. Thank you for the insight.
If we have the patience and the strength, sometimes our pain can bring enlightenment.
I believe every story shared lessens the stigma, lessens the isolation, lessens the shame. In a space like CB, this is tenfold. You see only so many comments, but you never know who could be reading and taking solace that they are not alone, finding strength in solidarity.
Thank you for being brave enough to share. I’m sorry you ever had to experience any of it, but I’m glad to have you, and women like you, in this fight.
I’m glad your mother finally understands.
Yesterday, a 40ish female co-worker watched the Cosby news and started talking about “old” stories that seem political (clearly meaning that she could halfway buy the Cosby accusations, but not dear Brett’s accusers). I calmly shared stories from two upstanding women she personally knows. They were nearly raped as teens, yet never pursued charges. It took them decades to ever speak of it. I hope something clicked with her, as it did your mother.
You are very brave to share your story.
All I can say is you are so brave. Thank you for sharing your story, thank you for trying to help people understand. Thank you and hugs from an internet stranger
I’m proud of you but can’t say the same. My Mom (73) said the same thing last night. I was so horrified. I wanted to scream and cry. This is the woman whose own father is a pedo. Whose brother is as well. Heart-breaking. I wanted to ask her when she called the police on her father, when did that happen? It didn’t. He abused her close friends and then mine when I was a child. WTF. Such a disconnect.
I am so sorry you have gone through all of that, and I think you are incredibly brave for sharing your story and putting yourself through that to reach your mother. I hope you feel a little lighter today, but I know that’s difficult with all this news dredging up so much pain.
These responses have me extremely emotional. Thank you all. For those of us who haven’t been through it, I promise you know someone who has. So many women (and men) are carrying around a secret covered up in shame, embarrassment and self blame.
There have been so many times recently I have wanted to publicly share my story about how my son was conceived, but out of respect for him I can’t. I need to tell him first, but at 13 he’s still too young. But I can use my voice to say to others I believe you, I support you, let’s make a change. And I can share my other stories, and I can continue to bring awareness to others as to why we don’t always tell. We all can. The most beautiful thing about what is happening with this #metoo movement is that things are changing. Love to all of you ladies
@LibraKitty, thank you for sharing your story. My deceased grandfather was a pedophile who sexually molested all of his daughters. People need know that when they say insensitive things like that they need to realize that person they are saying it to may have been a victim. I’m so tired of hearing that “why didn’t they come forward before?” Many do and are shamed or not believed. It’s a traumatic experience which can take years even decades to process.
thank you this makes sense. my blood boils when I hear men says women “should have reported it”, doubt their stories because it was never prosecuted etc.
I hid years of felony domestic violence abuse that was inflicted on meand let me tell you – just because I was too scared to tell the truth, didn’t mean it didn’t happen because I have the scars and lifelong nerve damage to prove it. I finally reported it after 4 years of ongoing abuse because when I finally got the balls to leave, I couldn’t live with myself if it happened to the next woman and I never said anything and never tried to stop him. Don’t know if that makes sense. And I was mad as a hell after he strangled me and wanted justice for myself. 🙂 Anger was my rocketfuel to put him in jail
I just get so triggered by people who write these women off
Librakitty: Sending you a virtual heartfelt hug. I know that you are an amazing mother, compassionate, courageous and strong. Telling your mother the truth must be a big release to something you’ve been holding inside of you for so long. God Speed. Me too.
I wish my mom got it. I was molested as a child and my parents just covered it up. I had a huge confrontation with them several years ago and she was apologetic. Yet when all the sh*t came out with Kavanope she just said “I guess he likes women.” I just about lost it. We’ve had several conversations and she just keeps saying how it was not recent, etc. and how he is a married man now.
@ Pandora I’m with you! I went though the same thing. My mom didn’t want to accept what happened, or she didn’t really understand it, but in any case, it is completely taboo to discuss, as if it didn’t happen. I admire you for having the courage to confront your parents. I’m not there yet. My parents don’t support Kavanaugh, but I don’t trust them with my stories. I confided in my dad that one of his law students raped me while I was drunk, and he told me that the guy probably didn’t rape me, and just wanted me to think that he did. Yeah, so… I don’t feel like it’s safe to discuss with either of my parents and I’m not brave enough to try. But I notice this trend of parents hanging up any old rag to hide themselves from the reality of child abuse, and it really upsets me. I get it, no one wants to believe that it happens. But it does happen. Is it really worth staying in denial about it?!? Hugs to you. We are not alone.
@Librakitty I posted your comment to twitter as it really moved me. It’s here:
https://twitter.com/celebitchy/status/1045263079032967168
If you would like me to remove it from Twitter I definitely will, please just comment or email me info-at-celebitchy.com.
I too was raped many years ago, I undestand truly why you and many other women do not report it. Only those who have experience such a horrible act can understand. What Dr Ford did today is truly brave. I also Thank You for sharing your story on this board.
I have watched Avenatti since his first Stormy TV interviews in March. He is brash, but he has delivered the goods every time.
If I had a story to tell, I would hope he’d take me as a client. If he wanted to stay up 24 hours a day to appear on every news show possible, so be it. The guy thrives on helping those who aren’t normally heard. He gets them a worldwide megaphone. More power to him and his latest client as they battle the old guard and the aging frat boys.
@librakitty I had the same conversation with my mom this week when she couldn’t understand. She asked why I never said anything. I told her the truth. It’s embarrassing and weird and uncomfortable and my choose to share things. I’m OK now and I hope you are too. But until you’ve lived it you don’t get it. And once you have the silver lining is you gain so much empathy for others experiences.
That takes a lot of courage. Thank you.
Someone just said on twitter “either Kavanaugh or America is done”. Surely no decent society would knowingly elect a rapist?
Damn, that’s stark. I’m afraid of the answer…and I’m still furious with the 53% of white women who voted for Trump knowing that he had admitted to (ie bragged about) sexual assault.
If one believes Ivanas biography, then Trump himself is a rapist too.
it doesn’t make it a lesser rape only because a husband raped his wife.
Exactly. If he’s confirmed, it says a hell of a lot about our government and the people who run it, and none of it good.
Republicans are trying to dismantle America as is, when are people going to wake up to them being full blown Nationalists trying to reinvent America to their own iron fist rule! They are intentionally doing this on purpose. I read the Rise of the Third Reich, one of the first things Hitler did was fill his so called inner circles with sexual perverts, from kid molesters to rumored rapists. It helps to further break down consistent laws favoring the populace (which is bad thing if you want a theocracy or a nationalistic state). Sexual predators revealed as an awful person by “the other side” will be compliment to the party that elected them 100% with out question they will do what that party wants like a repayment plan. Republicans will 100% choose the rapist over America, that is their exact plan. Vote them out in November and remove them from power.
Well, not only was Trump elected, but America re-elected Bill Clinton in 1996, well after Paula Jones’ accusations became public that he as governor and her employer exposed himself to her and asked her to perform a sex act.
Yeah, the Bill Clinton thing is a damn atrocity too. I was young (elementary school) when it happened, so I didn’t know anything other than he was the president and he was accused of something having to do with sex. And my parents hated him, but given their reaction to everything that’s happened with Trump and other conservatives relating to sexual “misconduct,” it was mostly bc he was a Democrat.
So, while this admin and the Republican party are in power, most of the accusations coming out are against conservative men. I’m a lefty (whatever that means…I don’t trust the party and some definitions of liberal are unfortunate) but when accusations start coming out about Democrats, I will not to be one of those “I believe it until its someone I like” people and take the survivors seriously. Bc this isn’t just a party problem, this is a powerful man problem.
OMG! This affidavit is truly earth shaking. She has given a sworn statement that Brett Kavanaugh and his good friend Mark Judge had big fun in high school by doping and then raping girls at house parties. They would form a “train” of boys who would take part in these gang rapes. Not only should Kavanaugh not be on the Supreme Court, but he should be brought up on rape charges. This is incredibly shocking. So now the Republicans are bringing in a female sex crimes prosecutor to question Dr. Ford and Kavanaugh tomorrow. She of course is supposed to trip Ford up and reveal her as a liar about that wonderful family man Kavanaugh. What about her questions to BK? Will she ask him about drugging and raping multiple girls, not just Dr. Ford? Of course not. How can this “respected” prosecutor take part in this charade?
The Republicans need to not only drop Kavanaugh, but recommend him for prosecution and eventual removal from the bench.
Yep, he shouldn’t have even reached the level he has. EVER.
And she was one of the women drugged and raped, too.
If I am reading the coverage correctly, his beloved 1980s calendar entries match up to the Beach Week event the latest accuser has referenced.
No wonder his age 50-something wingboy is hiding out at a friend’s house in Delaware with a pile of clothes and comic books.
yeah, if KavaNOPE was innocent, Mark Judge would be FIGHTING to get to testify.
instead he’s HIDING.
should tell you everything.
I hope every last “boy” that was in one of those “trains” is now a ground man, shitting himself at the prospect of being outed.
Oh it matches alright. Including a birthday party on the FFFFFFFourth of July.
His yearbook nonsense ought to be disqualifying due to extreme immaturity and lack of judgment. Those entries (which HE would have submitted) don’t describe a shy little altar boy.
It’s amazing that CNN is reporting that she is claiming she saw him grope other people at parties, but not that she claims to be one of multiple victims of “train” rape. They refer to something that they haven’t been able to corroborate, but this is a sworn affidavit. I think it is serious enough that they should be able to describe the allegations.
I found her affidavit confusing, though. She isn’t saying he raped her, but that some other people raped her and he was at the party? And I think from the prior paragraphs where she said she saw him participating in getting girls drunk/drugged at other parties, there is an implication that he did that in her case? so he was a ringleader so to speak?
The short version is she establishes that Kavanaugh and Judge and others had form in regard to getting girls drunk/drugged and then moving them to a room for the purposes of gang rape. In her case, she was so out of it that she cannot identify her rapists, at least to a degree acceptable for a sworn affidavit or testimony in court.
However, you can infer that unless there were two packs of gang rapists operating at these parties then 1 + 1 = 2.
Yes, exactly @Incredulous. She’s implicating him in her rape but not accusing him. Basically she saw this “train” waiting to rape girls, and he was always part of it, so when it happened to her, she assumes he was also part of it.
This is damaging stuff and in a sworn affidavit – she must have the good to back it up and if she told people after it happened then there are other witnesses. She and the other women have to have a chance to testify.
I think the reason why they don’t want the FBI to investigate as the Feds already have this information that the GOP don’t want exposed to the public. They covered it up.
I so would with Avenhottie – he’s the type of brawler lawyer that is perfect to go up against Emperor Toadstool and his GOP cohorts. But seems there is quite a queue forming, between the ladies here and the gays on Data Lounge.
A co-worker in her late 50s, a quiet, reserved and gorgeous woman was just yelling at the TV in the break room about how Grassley and Hatch needed to resign or recuse themselves. She then told us that in the early 90s, she and a client had gone to DC for meetings with Clinton, Shalala, and several congressmen. They were standing in a corridor talking to Claiborne Pell, who was in his late 70s, when Strom Thurmond, age 1,000, appeared on a nearby staircase, accompanied by a Capitol police officer, and followed by Orrin Hatch. Thurmond waved at her from the stairs. When he reached the bottom, he threw a handful of coins at her feet, then tried to look up her dress as he pretended to pick up the coins. She couldn’t believe this what this ancient relic was trying to do and, while laughing at the absurdity of it, tried to move away. She found herself grasping onto Pell, using him as a human shield as her client moved between them and Thurmond. The officer was trying to pull Thurmond off the floor and Hatch? Hatch picked up the pennies. Thurmond winked at her as the cop led him away and Hatch jokingly muttered something about an old dog’s tricks. Pell was mortified and more shaken than she was. She said it took every fiber of her being to stop from kicking Thurmond in the head but knew if she had, she would have been the one arrested. She finished by saying Orrin Hatch should not be involved in anything involving sexual assault because he is, at the very least, an enabler.
If Strom had only made it to age 116, he and Mushroom would have been such good friends. He’s a great example of some of the worst (racists, hypocrites, jerks, etc.) getting the most years.
No surprise that Hatch was an unfazed enabler (then and now, apparently).
Yup, had the sickening privilege of having ol’ Strom hit on me at the Columbia Metropolitan airport in SC [in my younger days], cornering me, leering at me, wanting to know how I was doing, pretty young thing?
I told him to get the fock out of my face.
Yeah, proud of myself for that
And all their crap about why don’t women report; it’s not believable if the woman didn’t report it when it happened? To whom would my colleague report this? This was a US Senator doing this in public view right in the Capitol building and for Chanteloup in an airport. Two US Senators witnessed it; one helped her and the other enabled and joked about it. A cop witnessed it all. She would have been ridiculed for complaining about a 90 year old man.
I swear if these POS Republican Senators do not call for an FBI Investigation ASAP I’m going to scream. They ABSOLUTELY need to call Mark Judge to testify too. That sworn affidavit killed me. Especially the part where she said Kavanaugh and Judge targetted girls that were shy or alone at the party. Omg. This is absolutely awful.
These Republican POS need to lose power NOW. We need to vote these fuckers out, exterminate the GOP and let it rebuild itself. (We still need a center-right party in our country.) I am just as angry about any Democrat guilty of abusing women (like Eric Schneiderman). But with the GOP it seems more systematic and the fact they’ve gone all in with Trump, an admitted predator, has made them engage in even more corrupt enabling behavior.
Michael Avenatti is hottt
Aven-HOTTIE!! His looks, intelligence and confidence are mega sexy
Yes! ALL of the above!
I had to have the same conversation with my 70 year old mother too. She couldnt understand not reporting it. I told its similar to domestic violence victims not reporting their abusive spouses. Hmm that she could understand. We need to keep sharing stories not only amongst women but tell men also. I hate the “boys will be boys”. I talk to my 18 year old since he was a wee lad about respecting woman and their bodies. I even told him about my own sexual assault experience so victims would not be impersonal to him.
My disgusting boyfriend thought it was so “f ed up” for these women to come forward 30 years later and they “should have reported it”. As if not reporting it means it never happened? If you don’t report, that makes it okay?? I tried to explain this is just like a background check for a job and this Kav guy has failed his background check and doesn’t belong in any position of moral authority, especially if it touches on sexual assault.
Defending a rapist or an abuser is NEVER OKAY!! what is wrong with people?? Men are so sensitive during this “me too” movement because they can’t get away with this BS anymore and America’s twisted culture of rape and violence against women is shifting and women are standing up AND we are COMING for these ABUSERS (men AND women alike). Just because 30 years passed doesn’t mean it DIDNT happen!
I am so grossed out by his opinion on this I might dump him
Stacey, I had a female co-worker parroting the same things yesterday. And somehow, she had come to believe most of the Cosby accusations, but not these “political” ones.
And today another female co-worker happily announced she got tickets for a Zero rally coming to our region. (She probably could have been paid to attend.)
What is wrong with people’s reasoning?
Yeah that would have me thinking long and hard about the relationship too. I can’t trust a man that doesn’t support women.
Now there is another allegation being reported, from 1998 (aggressively pushing a woman against a wall outside a DC bar).
This is a crazier than usual week, especially after that off the rails news conference this evening.
It sounds like Kavanaugh is an alcoholic. Some people can hide it well enough to have successful careers. But he is also abusive and apparently a rapist so he should be in jail. I shudder to think what goes on in his home.
I work in an area of law where we profile and research the cases of recidivist sex offenders to see if they meet the criteria for commitment to a sex offender treatment program. I’ve been in this area of law for 24 years so I’ve seen a thing or two. We look for pattern offending as it can tend to indicate the person is in a cycle of offending that is out of control and they will keep repeating the behavior without intervention. If I were reading these women’s accounts in my work I would find them credible and I would be highly concerned about the pattern of offending. We have proceeded to commit sex offenders who have committed these same types of offenses. These allegations are serious, these victims should be taken seriously and Kavanaugh should have the intelligence and decency to understand that he needs to recuse himself. He should not be sitting on the bench in any jurisdiction. I went to plenty parties in high school and college where there was lots of alcohol and maybe some hook-ups happening. Never saw guys running a train on a girl. Never saw guys slipping roofies in the punch. Never had a guy shove me against a counter and grind on me, try to expose me or stick his dick in my face. That is sick shit. That’s not normal party hijinks. This should not be up for debate.
Thank you for this Anare for a rare legal perspective of assaults that are being minimized, mischaracterized and dismissed as Republicans attack the victims. I posted this to twitter and hope that’s ok. If not, please reply here or email me at info-at-celebitchy.com
https://twitter.com/celebitchy/status/1045263079032967168
I was 13 when 3 classmates tried to gang rape me in the middle school girl’s bathroom. I was so lucky I got away, but after 30 years I am still dealing with the fallout. So why didn’t I come forward?
I did.
They tormented me for months before the attack, and I went to all my teachers, to the principal, to everyone I could to try to get someone to help me. They told me to toughen up. They asked me what I did to provoke their behaviors. (I beat the ringleader in a classroom art contest. Seriously.) They were so brazen that they would hit me and grab me in front of the teachers, who would literally see what happened and look the other way.
I learned an important lesson that year. That grownups lie, that you can’t trust anyone who says they are there to help you, and authority figures have absolutely no interest in protecting you. The only reason it stopped is because I finally told my mother, and she went to the school and threatened to call every newspaper and TV station she could to expose what was going on. And even then, the only thing they did was move me out of the classes those boys were in and into different classes. The thing I begged them to do for months and they refused to do.
Nothing happened to the boys. And guess what? They only got worse. I found out not to long ago that the ringleader, a lifelong bully, is in jail for killing a man. Why? Because the man was walking his dog in front of the guy’s house and he didn’t like him. So he shot that man and his dog. The guy had three young kids, and this monster destroyed that family. So no, its not a once off. They don’t just do bad things to one person and then move on. It’s a lifelong behavior, and if you don’t call it out or do something to stop it then you condone it, however passively.
I don’t even know where I’m going with this, I just wanted to get it off my chest. That 13 year old girl deserved so much better than she got, and I refuse to forgive anyone who saw what happened and did nothing to help her.
@Dahlia6 Yes to your entire paragraph about adults lying. I have been sexually harrassed, abused, molested so many times. No adult did anything, ever. Never. They NEVER cared. The idea that victims should tell someone is straight up laughable. The reality for me is that it was ALWAYS worse if I said something. I don’t want victims to be silent, but I also would never lie to them about how this stupid planet responds to this kind of information.
When I was 13 years old, my best friend’s father got arrested for owning child pornography on several of his computers and domestic violence against her mother. She had to go to a child psychiatrist, because her father did some crazy shit to her and her sisters (i.e. watching her while she was taking a shower) and their mother got a fast paced divorce. This was almost 20 years ago and I still feel sick to my stomache when I go back to the moment when my best friend told me about it. You cannot make this shit up and it haunts victims for their whole life! Society must change and open their eyes and ears a lot more. This happens all around the world and we should not look the other way and treat the victims with respect and dignity, something they got ripped of by their abuser/s a long time ago.