Hey people who are hesitant to believe women, okay. That sucks but I’m sure you have your reasons. How about this: instead of looking at the allegations, let’s look at how the accused handles it.

Is the accused taking responsibility for their part? Or are they handling it like a child, insinuating the accusers are unstable or motivated by money/revenge?

Let’s say you’re powerful and your much less powerful ex recalls some BAD stuff you did, but you don’t think the recollection is accurate. Would you publicly shame this person? If you were in the right, and they were in the wrong, would you lash out and try to destroy them?

Maybe some allegations were a decade in the past, maybe these people have learned and grown since then, but here’s the cool thing: We can see the kind of person the accused is NOW by hearing their statements.

Let’s look at some responses from dudes.

Neil Degrasse Tyson on someone who accused him of rape

(Quote from @IBJIYONGI for @sciam)

Jeff Ross! What a king, how kind he is to be concerned for her

Oh Riff Raff. Now THIS is how you respond to two credible allegations, complete with a typing style straight out of 2004 MySpace

Oh Michael Douglas, you saucy boy. Calling it like it is, these bitter career women

“Man, like she asked me for money last year, so clearly I didn’t drag her down the stairs.” -Drake Bell, paraphrased

It’s absolutely the accused’s right to deny if they do not feel the story about them has any truth to it. But attacking the victim publicly, if they believe the victim’s mental health issues are at least partially to blame, shows you what kind of person they are.

Regardless of the accuracy of the allegations, these men are quite literally gaslighting the accusers and manipulating you right in front of your eyes. Look at it for what it is.