Disappointed

[mustinjourney]

I found out through these boards, and found the information without any issue. I'm assuming dozens of others figured out the same way....

now I'm confused.

The only reason things were allowed to be posted here was b/c the word had gotten out on the other websites and the youtube chat during last week's show.

So without those two things, nothing would have been posted here.

 

[mefordis]

OK - fair on the could / should thing. But I 100% stand by my point about Pete's "entertainment" value. I grew tired of his schtick a long time ago. But I will agree with you that there are plenty of people that find that type of content enjoyable - just go take a look at the posts of disappointment on here when he decided to step back from the Tuesday show. I however, am not one of them.

And yes, I am aware he is the owner of this board as is most everyone else on here that continues to read and post. Speaking only for myself, I am hopeful that at some point that will not be the case. I'm willing to wait and see - for now.

Thank you -- I am just pointing out what could potentially happen -- not what I THINK should happen, which is irrelevant.
TBH I stopped watching regularly when Kevin and John stopped joining the shows. But I'm an old timer who started listening when only Bob, Corey, Julie, Kevin, Pete and John were the only ones doing the podcast.

 

[thunderbird1]

TBH I stopped watching regularly when Kevin and John stopped joining the shows. But I'm an old timer who started listening when only Bob, Corey, Julie, Kevin, Pete and John were the only doing the podcast.

Same, but that was back when John, Kevin, Corey and Julie were going to the parks regularly. I don't think that same combination would work today, given that their lives have moved in different directions than hanging out in theme parks all the time. And that's not a criticism of them - interests change over time, people get older and less mobile, and raising a family is time consuming.

 

[Jangles]

Could PW make a claim for defamation of character or libel against posters on this forum or the other one? Presumably, as ‘Owner’ of this board he would be able to access posters’ registered details.

 

[AbbeFaria]

I don't know why this keeps coming up. I'll say it a million times more and more... No one knew anything. If you read my story, you'll know that I hid everything for a very long time. The most anyone knew is that we had a tumultuous on again/off again relationship. I had only ever revealed what truly happened to my wife (when we first got serious.) I would bet money that Pete didn't even really remember that these events even happened. I never brought them up. He would've swept them under the rug thinking they'll never see the light of day again.

I kept all of this incredibly close to the vest. I truly wish the guessing of who knew something happened was not a part of the conversation. I was struggling to even come clean about a relationship with a man. It was never fully acknowledged on the show. My friends and family didn't know until the very end.

Again (and again) while their may have been concerning behavior and toxic environments... no one truly knew how deep any of this went with the exception of me and Sean (maybe there are others? I don't know) I can't reiterate enough that these people are good human beings and at the end of the day would've stood up for what's right.

I'm not coming at anyone in specific. I'm just trying to squash what I feel is an unnecessary point that keeps being brought up. These are decent humans, who did the best with the information they were provided, while also being subjected to bullying, torment, control, and verbal abuse themselves.

Please give them the benefit of the doubt. You are entitled to your opinions.... but seriously, that's all I ask.

Charles Boda here:

Pete confessed to me the truth of what he did to you after almost two years of villainizing you as the one who "broke his heart." Here is how that played out:

As most DIS fans know, I have a felony. What they don't realize is that the "domestic partner" everyone thinks I stabbed was actually an abusive roomate who drugged my drinks and sexually assaulted me. We were never in a relationship, and although I suspected he was obsessed with me, I wasn't entirely aware of the assaults until he showed me pictures of them. I vomitted. The next time he put his hands on me I defended myself. My abuser even tried to visit me in jail to get me to move back into the apartment we shared. Instead, I became homeless but my abuser continued to stalk me for months.

Cut to a few years later. I was living in Pete's spare bedroom and working for the DIS. Pete was my sponsor in an addiction recovery program. He was sitting in his office with me and explained his true behavior to you in some detail. No one else on staff knew, and they likely believed his fictional account of how you "broke his heart."

I told Pete what he did to you was essentially what my abuser did to me. Pete replied that he decided to be my sponsor (after initially thinking I was hot and then finding out I was straight) because helping me would be making amends for what he did to you. This was an emotionally damaging revelation (I was his penance for abusing someone else) and I felt like a fool for letting another abuser get close to me. I did not give him the judgement-free response he thought he was owed. After 3 days of checking my bathroom for hidden cameras (he admitted he had used them before), I moved out of the house but could not afford to quit the DIS.

I continued working and tried not to focus on what I knew about him. I didn't want to be homeless again after so much work turning my life around. I was scared and confused. Eventually, on a trip to DL, I lwt Pete know I was upset that he was involved in fat-shaming Kevin and John at a work dinner without them present. Pete does not accept any criticism from anyone, so he immediately cut me off from certain jobs responsibilities. I spoke with my girlfriend about his behavior when I got home and she helped me confrot what I'd been trying to block out the entire time. Pete is a narcissistic sexual predator who controls eveyone he knows, friends, family, employees, by getting them on his payroll somehow and using his money to exert power over them. Things that were treated normal by Pete ("take close-up pictures of that hot singer at at Tiana's Place, I'm gonna ask the Maitre D' if I can get a private meeting. They know who I am here.) that we'd just avoid and get back to our real work suddenly couldn't be avoided.

Once I faced that reality, I couldn't pretend anymore. I couldn't even look Pete in the face without revulsion. I refused to be controlled, left the DIS, and went freelance.

I internally debated coming out openly about what I had learned, but telling my story meant telling yours. I didn't think it was right to bring you into a public discussion. The internet can be very cruel and victimshaming.

Please forgive my lack of communication, but I have a lot of PTSD about what happened to me by my abuser and then Pete's confession after years of lying to me to gain my trust.

While working for the DIS I loved my job and my coworkers. Few people enabled Pete, most folks were just controlled or extorted by him. There are a lot of victims to go around.

I don't know if this reply will see the light of day. Life has been much more healthy and happy since I left the DIS. I don't want to open up Pandora's box of internet cruelty. Even if I have, I guess it's important to remember what was at the bottom of that mythical box after all the negative forces were set loose on the world: Hope.

I hope you're well. I hope you forgive my silence. I hope someone, somehow, learns from this.

TLDR: I knew, Pete confessed to me, I'm sorry

 

[Alztybrn]

I think for the next live show, they should bring back an old segment where they talked about the top threads on the DIS boards over the last week. And obviously, this would be the top thread

 

[BooToYou7]

Holy hell. Charles, wow. What is happening is just truly amazing and stunning.

God, I'm just so sorry for what everyone has gone through. I wish I had anything competent to say about any of this.

 

[Jangles]

Charles Boda here:

Pete confessed to me the truth of what he did to you after almost two years of villainizing you as the one who "broke his heart." Here is how that played out:

As most DIS fans know, I have a felony. What they don't realize is that the "domestic partner" everyone thinks I stabbed was actually an abusive roomate who drugged my drinks and sexually assaulted me. We were never in a relationship, and although I suspected he was obsessed with me, I wasn't entirely aware of the assaults until he showed me pictures of them. I vomitted. The next time he put his hands on me I defended myself. My abuser even tried to visit me in jail to get me to move back into the apartment we shared. Instead, I became homeless but my abuser continued to stalk me for months.

Cut to a few years later. I was living in Pete's spare bedroom and working for the DIS. Pete was my sponsor in an addiction recovery program. He was sitting in his office with me and explained his true behavior to you in some detail. No one else on staff knew, and they likely believed his fictional account of how you "broke his heart."

I told Pete what he did to you was essentially what my abuser did to me. Pete replied that he decided to be my sponsor (after initially thinking I was hot and then finding out I was straight) because helping me would be making amends for what he did to you. This was an emotionally damaging revelation (I was his penance for abusing someone else) and I felt like a fool for letting another abuser get close to me. I did not give him the judgement-free response he thought he was owed. After 3 days of checking my bathroom for hidden cameras (he admitted he had used them before), I moved out of the house but could not afford to quit the DIS.

I continued working and tried not to focus on what I knew about him. I didn't want to be homeless again after so much work turning my life around. I was scared and confused. Eventually, on a trip to DL, I lwt Pete know I was upset that he was involved in fat-shaming Kevin and John at a work dinner without them present. Pete does not accept any criticism from anyone, so he immediately cut me off from certain jobs responsibilities. I spoke with my girlfriend about his behavior when I got home and she helped me confrot what I'd been trying to block out the entire time. Pete is a narcissistic sexual predator who controls eveyone he knows, friends, family, employees, by getting them on his payroll somehow and using his money to exert power over them. Things that were treated normal by Pete ("take close-up pictures of that hot singer at at Tiana's Place, I'm gonna ask the Maitre D' if I can get a private meeting. They know who I am here.) that we'd just avoid and get back to our real work suddenly couldn't be avoided.

Once I faced that reality, I couldn't pretend anymore. I couldn't even look Pete in the face without revulsion. I refused to be controlled, left the DIS, and went freelance.

I internally debated coming out openly about what I had learned, but telling my story meant telling yours. I didn't think it was right to bring you into a public discussion. The internet can be very cruel and victimshaming.

Please forgive my lack of communication, but I have a lot of PTSD about what happened to me by my abuser and then Pete's confession after years of lying to me to gain my trust.

While working for the DIS I loved my job and my coworkers. Few people enabled Pete, most folks were just controlled or extorted by him. There are a lot of victims to go around.

I don't know if this reply will see the light of day. Life has been much more healthy and happy since I left the DIS. I don't want to open up Pandora's box of internet cruelty. Even if I have, I guess it's important to remember what was at the bottom of that mythical box after all the negative forces were set loose on the world: Hope.

I hope you're well. I hope you forgive my silence. I hope someone, somehow, learns from this.

TLDR: I knew, Pete confessed to me, I'm sorry

It feels inappropriate to ‘like’ this. You are a brave man. I am sorry that you have faced such tumultuous situations.

 

[JimmyV_2.0]

Life has been much more healthy and happy since I left the DIS.

Thank you Charles for your courage to come forward and I am truly thankful that your life is turning around. As a former food and wine writer and restaurant critic, yours were some of the few reviews on the DIS that I could relate to and I was sorry to see you go, without so much as a wave good-bye. All the best brother.

 

[rchristiansen]

Charles Boda here:

Charles Boda here:

Pete confessed to me the truth of what he did to you after almost two years of villainizing you as the one who "broke his heart." Here is how that played out:

As most DIS fans know, I have a felony. What they don't realize is that the "domestic partner" everyone thinks I stabbed was actually an abusive roomate who drugged my drinks and sexually assaulted me. We were never in a relationship, and although I suspected he was obsessed with me, I wasn't entirely aware of the assaults until he showed me pictures of them. I vomitted. The next time he put his hands on me I defended myself. My abuser even tried to visit me in jail to get me to move back into the apartment we shared. Instead, I became homeless but my abuser continued to stalk me for months.

Cut to a few years later. I was living in Pete's spare bedroom and working for the DIS. Pete was my sponsor in an addiction recovery program. He was sitting in his office with me and explained his true behavior to you in some detail. No one else on staff knew, and they likely believed his fictional account of how you "broke his heart."

I told Pete what he did to you was essentially what my abuser did to me. Pete replied that he decided to be my sponsor (after initially thinking I was hot and then finding out I was straight) because helping me would be making amends for what he did to you. This was an emotionally damaging revelation (I was his penance for abusing someone else) and I felt like a fool for letting another abuser get close to me. I did not give him the judgement-free response he thought he was owed. After 3 days of checking my bathroom for hidden cameras (he admitted he had used them before), I moved out of the house but could not afford to quit the DIS.

I continued working and tried not to focus on what I knew about him. I didn't want to be homeless again after so much work turning my life around. I was scared and confused. Eventually, on a trip to DL, I lwt Pete know I was upset that he was involved in fat-shaming Kevin and John at a work dinner without them present. Pete does not accept any criticism from anyone, so he immediately cut me off from certain jobs responsibilities. I spoke with my girlfriend about his behavior when I got home and she helped me confrot what I'd been trying to block out the entire time. Pete is a narcissistic sexual predator who controls eveyone he knows, friends, family, employees, by getting them on his payroll somehow and using his money to exert power over them. Things that were treated normal by Pete ("take close-up pictures of that hot singer at at Tiana's Place, I'm gonna ask the Maitre D' if I can get a private meeting. They know who I am here.) that we'd just avoid and get back to our real work suddenly couldn't be avoided.

Once I faced that reality, I couldn't pretend anymore. I couldn't even look Pete in the face without revulsion. I refused to be controlled, left the DIS, and went freelance.

I internally debated coming out openly about what I had learned, but telling my story meant telling yours. I didn't think it was right to bring you into a public discussion. The internet can be very cruel and victimshaming.

Please forgive my lack of communication, but I have a lot of PTSD about what happened to me by my abuser and then Pete's confession after years of lying to me to gain my trust.

While working for the DIS I loved my job and my coworkers. Few people enabled Pete, most folks were just controlled or extorted by him. There are a lot of victims to go around.

I don't know if this reply will see the light of day. Life has been much more healthy and happy since I left the DIS. I don't want to open up Pandora's box of internet cruelty. Even if I have, I guess it's important to remember what was at the bottom of that mythical box after all the negative forces were set loose on the world: Hope.

I hope you're well. I hope you forgive my silence. I hope someone, somehow, learns from this.

TLDR: I knew, Pete confessed to me, I'm sorry

Holy !
OMG! That’s horrible! I’m so sorry you went through this.

 

[wiihoo888]

Charles Boda here:

Pete confessed to me the truth of what he did to you after almost two years of villainizing you as the one who "broke his heart." Here is how that played out:

As most DIS fans know, I have a felony. What they don't realize is that the "domestic partner" everyone thinks I stabbed was actually an abusive roomate who drugged my drinks and sexually assaulted me. We were never in a relationship, and although I suspected he was obsessed with me, I wasn't entirely aware of the assaults until he showed me pictures of them. I vomitted. The next time he put his hands on me I defended myself. My abuser even tried to visit me in jail to get me to move back into the apartment we shared. Instead, I became homeless but my abuser continued to stalk me for months.

Cut to a few years later. I was living in Pete's spare bedroom and working for the DIS. Pete was my sponsor in an addiction recovery program. He was sitting in his office with me and explained his true behavior to you in some detail. No one else on staff knew, and they likely believed his fictional account of how you "broke his heart."

I told Pete what he did to you was essentially what my abuser did to me. Pete replied that he decided to be my sponsor (after initially thinking I was hot and then finding out I was straight) because helping me would be making amends for what he did to you. This was an emotionally damaging revelation (I was his penance for abusing someone else) and I felt like a fool for letting another abuser get close to me. I did not give him the judgement-free response he thought he was owed. After 3 days of checking my bathroom for hidden cameras (he admitted he had used them before), I moved out of the house but could not afford to quit the DIS.

I continued working and tried not to focus on what I knew about him. I didn't want to be homeless again after so much work turning my life around. I was scared and confused. Eventually, on a trip to DL, I lwt Pete know I was upset that he was involved in fat-shaming Kevin and John at a work dinner without them present. Pete does not accept any criticism from anyone, so he immediately cut me off from certain jobs responsibilities. I spoke with my girlfriend about his behavior when I got home and she helped me confrot what I'd been trying to block out the entire time. Pete is a narcissistic sexual predator who controls eveyone he knows, friends, family, employees, by getting them on his payroll somehow and using his money to exert power over them. Things that were treated normal by Pete ("take close-up pictures of that hot singer at at Tiana's Place, I'm gonna ask the Maitre D' if I can get a private meeting. They know who I am here.) that we'd just avoid and get back to our real work suddenly couldn't be avoided.

Once I faced that reality, I couldn't pretend anymore. I couldn't even look Pete in the face without revulsion. I refused to be controlled, left the DIS, and went freelance.

I internally debated coming out openly about what I had learned, but telling my story meant telling yours. I didn't think it was right to bring you into a public discussion. The internet can be very cruel and victimshaming.

Please forgive my lack of communication, but I have a lot of PTSD about what happened to me by my abuser and then Pete's confession after years of lying to me to gain my trust.

While working for the DIS I loved my job and my coworkers. Few people enabled Pete, most folks were just controlled or extorted by him. There are a lot of victims to go around.

I don't know if this reply will see the light of day. Life has been much more healthy and happy since I left the DIS. I don't want to open up Pandora's box of internet cruelty. Even if I have, I guess it's important to remember what was at the bottom of that mythical box after all the negative forces were set loose on the world: Hope.

I hope you're well. I hope you forgive my silence. I hope someone, somehow, learns from this.

TLDR: I knew, Pete confessed to me, I'm sorry

Well….damn. No apology needed here. Everyone has their own trauma they bring into any situation, and nobody should judge you on the time it takes to process that trauma. We compartmentalize. We cope. We are humans, not computers.

I do thank you (a bit tearfully) for coming forward with this now. Everyone will come forward in their own time. Nobody should judge anyone else on their timeline either. What matters is you did come forward and say something, and that is all that anyone can ask of you.

I hope you can find your healing too. It has been nice, but bittersweet, to hear from you

 

[bsmcneil]

It feels inappropriate to ‘like’ this. You are a brave man. I am sorry that you have faced such tumultuous situations.

That's how I felt - none of those reactions really sum up, "F - that's really powerful and courageous and I'm sorry you went through that."

 

[gmi3804]

Charles Boda here:

Pete confessed to me the truth of what he did to you after almost two years of villainizing you as the one who "broke his heart." Here is how that played out:

As most DIS fans know, I have a felony. What they don't realize is that the "domestic partner" everyone thinks I stabbed was actually an abusive roomate who drugged my drinks and sexually assaulted me. We were never in a relationship, and although I suspected he was obsessed with me, I wasn't entirely aware of the assaults until he showed me pictures of them. I vomitted. The next time he put his hands on me I defended myself. My abuser even tried to visit me in jail to get me to move back into the apartment we shared. Instead, I became homeless but my abuser continued to stalk me for months.

Cut to a few years later. I was living in Pete's spare bedroom and working for the DIS. Pete was my sponsor in an addiction recovery program. He was sitting in his office with me and explained his true behavior to you in some detail. No one else on staff knew, and they likely believed his fictional account of how you "broke his heart."

I told Pete what he did to you was essentially what my abuser did to me. Pete replied that he decided to be my sponsor (after initially thinking I was hot and then finding out I was straight) because helping me would be making amends for what he did to you. This was an emotionally damaging revelation (I was his penance for abusing someone else) and I felt like a fool for letting another abuser get close to me. I did not give him the judgement-free response he thought he was owed. After 3 days of checking my bathroom for hidden cameras (he admitted he had used them before), I moved out of the house but could not afford to quit the DIS.

I continued working and tried not to focus on what I knew about him. I didn't want to be homeless again after so much work turning my life around. I was scared and confused. Eventually, on a trip to DL, I lwt Pete know I was upset that he was involved in fat-shaming Kevin and John at a work dinner without them present. Pete does not accept any criticism from anyone, so he immediately cut me off from certain jobs responsibilities. I spoke with my girlfriend about his behavior when I got home and she helped me confrot what I'd been trying to block out the entire time. Pete is a narcissistic sexual predator who controls eveyone he knows, friends, family, employees, by getting them on his payroll somehow and using his money to exert power over them. Things that were treated normal by Pete ("take close-up pictures of that hot singer at at Tiana's Place, I'm gonna ask the Maitre D' if I can get a private meeting. They know who I am here.) that we'd just avoid and get back to our real work suddenly couldn't be avoided.

Once I faced that reality, I couldn't pretend anymore. I couldn't even look Pete in the face without revulsion. I refused to be controlled, left the DIS, and went freelance.

I internally debated coming out openly about what I had learned, but telling my story meant telling yours. I didn't think it was right to bring you into a public discussion. The internet can be very cruel and victimshaming.

Please forgive my lack of communication, but I have a lot of PTSD about what happened to me by my abuser and then Pete's confession after years of lying to me to gain my trust.

While working for the DIS I loved my job and my coworkers. Few people enabled Pete, most folks were just controlled or extorted by him. There are a lot of victims to go around.

I don't know if this reply will see the light of day. Life has been much more healthy and happy since I left the DIS. I don't want to open up Pandora's box of internet cruelty. Even if I have, I guess it's important to remember what was at the bottom of that mythical box after all the negative forces were set loose on the world: Hope.

I hope you're well. I hope you forgive my silence. I hope someone, somehow, learns from this.

TLDR: I knew, Pete confessed to me, I'm sorry

I hate that the "love" reaction emoji is laughing. But you have all my respect for opening up to us, something you did NOT have to do. You have my support, and know that I'm not alone in my feelings. Peace to you.

 

[dachsie]

Charles Boda here:

Pete confessed to me the truth of what he did to you after almost two years of villainizing you as the one who "broke his heart." Here is how that played out:

As most DIS fans know, I have a felony. What they don't realize is that the "domestic partner" everyone thinks I stabbed was actually an abusive roomate who drugged my drinks and sexually assaulted me. We were never in a relationship, and although I suspected he was obsessed with me, I wasn't entirely aware of the assaults until he showed me pictures of them. I vomitted. The next time he put his hands on me I defended myself. My abuser even tried to visit me in jail to get me to move back into the apartment we shared. Instead, I became homeless but my abuser continued to stalk me for months.

Cut to a few years later. I was living in Pete's spare bedroom and working for the DIS. Pete was my sponsor in an addiction recovery program. He was sitting in his office with me and explained his true behavior to you in some detail. No one else on staff knew, and they likely believed his fictional account of how you "broke his heart."

I told Pete what he did to you was essentially what my abuser did to me. Pete replied that he decided to be my sponsor (after initially thinking I was hot and then finding out I was straight) because helping me would be making amends for what he did to you. This was an emotionally damaging revelation (I was his penance for abusing someone else) and I felt like a fool for letting another abuser get close to me. I did not give him the judgement-free response he thought he was owed. After 3 days of checking my bathroom for hidden cameras (he admitted he had used them before), I moved out of the house but could not afford to quit the DIS.

I continued working and tried not to focus on what I knew about him. I didn't want to be homeless again after so much work turning my life around. I was scared and confused. Eventually, on a trip to DL, I lwt Pete know I was upset that he was involved in fat-shaming Kevin and John at a work dinner without them present. Pete does not accept any criticism from anyone, so he immediately cut me off from certain jobs responsibilities. I spoke with my girlfriend about his behavior when I got home and she helped me confrot what I'd been trying to block out the entire time. Pete is a narcissistic sexual predator who controls eveyone he knows, friends, family, employees, by getting them on his payroll somehow and using his money to exert power over them. Things that were treated normal by Pete ("take close-up pictures of that hot singer at at Tiana's Place, I'm gonna ask the Maitre D' if I can get a private meeting. They know who I am here.) that we'd just avoid and get back to our real work suddenly couldn't be avoided.

Once I faced that reality, I couldn't pretend anymore. I couldn't even look Pete in the face without revulsion. I refused to be controlled, left the DIS, and went freelance.

I internally debated coming out openly about what I had learned, but telling my story meant telling yours. I didn't think it was right to bring you into a public discussion. The internet can be very cruel and victimshaming.

Please forgive my lack of communication, but I have a lot of PTSD about what happened to me by my abuser and then Pete's confession after years of lying to me to gain my trust.

While working for the DIS I loved my job and my coworkers. Few people enabled Pete, most folks were just controlled or extorted by him. There are a lot of victims to go around.

I don't know if this reply will see the light of day. Life has been much more healthy and happy since I left the DIS. I don't want to open up Pandora's box of internet cruelty. Even if I have, I guess it's important to remember what was at the bottom of that mythical box after all the negative forces were set loose on the world: Hope.

I hope you're well. I hope you forgive my silence. I hope someone, somehow, learns from this.

TLDR: I knew, Pete confessed to me, I'm sorry

I am so glad you are in a better place now. Hope you continue to thrive. I am so sorry what happened to you. It was great to hear from you.

 

[SaintsManiac-vol.2]

Charles Boda here:

Pete confessed to me the truth of what he did to you after almost two years of villainizing you as the one who "broke his heart." Here is how that played out:

As most DIS fans know, I have a felony. What they don't realize is that the "domestic partner" everyone thinks I stabbed was actually an abusive roomate who drugged my drinks and sexually assaulted me. We were never in a relationship, and although I suspected he was obsessed with me, I wasn't entirely aware of the assaults until he showed me pictures of them. I vomitted. The next time he put his hands on me I defended myself. My abuser even tried to visit me in jail to get me to move back into the apartment we shared. Instead, I became homeless but my abuser continued to stalk me for months.

Cut to a few years later. I was living in Pete's spare bedroom and working for the DIS. Pete was my sponsor in an addiction recovery program. He was sitting in his office with me and explained his true behavior to you in some detail. No one else on staff knew, and they likely believed his fictional account of how you "broke his heart."

I told Pete what he did to you was essentially what my abuser did to me. Pete replied that he decided to be my sponsor (after initially thinking I was hot and then finding out I was straight) because helping me would be making amends for what he did to you. This was an emotionally damaging revelation (I was his penance for abusing someone else) and I felt like a fool for letting another abuser get close to me. I did not give him the judgement-free response he thought he was owed. After 3 days of checking my bathroom for hidden cameras (he admitted he had used them before), I moved out of the house but could not afford to quit the DIS.

I continued working and tried not to focus on what I knew about him. I didn't want to be homeless again after so much work turning my life around. I was scared and confused. Eventually, on a trip to DL, I lwt Pete know I was upset that he was involved in fat-shaming Kevin and John at a work dinner without them present. Pete does not accept any criticism from anyone, so he immediately cut me off from certain jobs responsibilities. I spoke with my girlfriend about his behavior when I got home and she helped me confrot what I'd been trying to block out the entire time. Pete is a narcissistic sexual predator who controls eveyone he knows, friends, family, employees, by getting them on his payroll somehow and using his money to exert power over them. Things that were treated normal by Pete ("take close-up pictures of that hot singer at at Tiana's Place, I'm gonna ask the Maitre D' if I can get a private meeting. They know who I am here.) that we'd just avoid and get back to our real work suddenly couldn't be avoided.

Once I faced that reality, I couldn't pretend anymore. I couldn't even look Pete in the face without revulsion. I refused to be controlled, left the DIS, and went freelance.

I internally debated coming out openly about what I had learned, but telling my story meant telling yours. I didn't think it was right to bring you into a public discussion. The internet can be very cruel and victimshaming.

Please forgive my lack of communication, but I have a lot of PTSD about what happened to me by my abuser and then Pete's confession after years of lying to me to gain my trust.

While working for the DIS I loved my job and my coworkers. Few people enabled Pete, most folks were just controlled or extorted by him. There are a lot of victims to go around.

I don't know if this reply will see the light of day. Life has been much more healthy and happy since I left the DIS. I don't want to open up Pandora's box of internet cruelty. Even if I have, I guess it's important to remember what was at the bottom of that mythical box after all the negative forces were set loose on the world: Hope.

I hope you're well. I hope you forgive my silence. I hope someone, somehow, learns from this.

TLDR: I knew, Pete confessed to me, I'm sorry

It’s good to see you. Thank you for opening up and sharing.

 

[jtw3549]

What’s the word on transferring existing Dreams reservations to another travel agent or to Disney directly? I remember seeing verbiage on this when I booked but can’t find that info at the moment?

 

[JimmyV_2.0]

Hidden cameras. Wow. That's a whole 'nuther level of hard time.

 

[JimmyV_2.0]

What’s the word on transferring existing Dreams reservations to another travel agent or to Disney directly?

I think the word is "DISassociation."

 

[Smugpugmug]

Charles's statement solidifies the fact that Pete needs to be removed from the DIS if it wants to have a future. He cannot continue to be associated with it. Hidden cameras is just WTH.

 

[SuperMuscleMan]

In my time as a mod. Pete was seldom involved in day to day decisions from at least what I could see. I’m sure he was involved in things but communication to moderators really wasn’t there all that much. I can’t speak for webmasters and their roles all vary.

I was a mod of the rumors and news board for roughly 5 years. There were a set of rules to abide by much of which posters agreed to when signing up for this site to begin with. I can assure you I was not intentionally trying to enable or encourage or cover up any problematic behavior. Quite the contrary. At the end of my time here I questioned so many things which is what led to my leaving. I tried to enact change but it did not occur at that time.

I have to say that some of the accusations and assumptions made in this thread about me, other mods, and the webmasters are quite far-fetched and rude, but this one is the most outlandish and, quite honestly, disgusting. Unless you are in the position of moderating a forum and all that entails, you absolutely do not know what goes on behind the scenes especially when working with someone who is being accused of the heinous acts described. The lack of compassion shown here is awful. While the experiences I had were no where near as heinous as what Sean and Dustin are alleging, I am trying to process this all myself. It’s been almost ten years since I left. None of you were in my shoes or those of the podcast team, DU agents, staffers, mods/webmasters. I don’t feel this is the time nor place to pile up on me (or them). It is doing nothing but causing more angst in an already traumatic situation that everyone is trying to work through.

Again, the Unplugged forum was an anomaly so much so that certain expectations were held here as opposed to other areas of the site. It was a regular point of conversation behind the scenes. Decisions were made. Expectations were to be upheld. If guidelines were not followed, actions had to be taken. I’m sorry to hear that some folks are holding onto that to this very day. When you are dealt a specific set of cards, sometimes the hand you have to play isn’t the ideal, but you do the best with what you have. I was also in the unique position of freelancing for wdwinfo and the blog as well as filming some segments with Dustin right before he left so my communication with the powers that be was much different than other mods.

If there’s any hope of this being a kind and welcoming place in the future, I’d suggest taking a step back and analyzing some of the commentary made in this thread. Is it kind? Is it true? Is it necessary? Is it helpful? As one who was groomed into putting someone on a pedestal only to have reality slap you upside the face, my answer would be a resounding no.

I just wanted to say I was not saying you intentionally were an enabler. However from reading earlier posts that you could not appeal a decision based on points was I believe part of the issue. People did bring up why did people leave without the fanfare Steve etc. Which now looking back was a form of control to threaten people to be blocked if they spoke up and asked the wrong question.

I am sure the 95% of the mods are good people with good intentions but I'm saying the no right to a second opinion seems like it could have been apart of the issue. With one member being blocked for challenging the decision of a mod to then get more black points and banned.

Control is going but the system needs a recourse so people can point out red flags if they see them.