NeoGAF News: Site Reopens, Founder Denies Sexual Assault Allegations
Tyler "Evilore" Malka, the founder of the popular gaming forum site NeoGAF has recently been slammed with another wave of sexual harassment allegations. Shortly after the reports circulated, the website was apparently shut down over the weekend following a number of moderators leaving the site.
However, the platform went back up on Monday with a lengthy statement from Malka that primarily addressed the sexual allegations and "the state of NeoGAF."
In his statement, Malka vehemently denied the sexual allegations, even calling the accuser "not credible." He claimed that the alleged victim was his "ex" and that her "story doesn't reconcile logically with the facts."
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Last week, an alleged victim of Malka's sexual advances came forward with a post on Facebook that detailed how she was harassed by the NeoGAF founder on one occasion. Though the victim did not drop any names in the main post, when one commenter told her to "stand up" and at least reveal the abuser's name, the victim replied with: "F*** it. Google Evilore."
Meanwhile, moderators who chose to remain with Malka in the platform showed their support by commenting on the said statement. However, their messages were more about catering to site users' needs. A few to none in the thread directly addressed the sexual abuse accusations.
Moderators also decided to close the "Off-Topic Community" section of the platform "for a short time." The said section was where users could discuss matters other than gaming-related issues. It was also where the recent sexual harassment claim was shared.
Shortly after the sexual allegations against Malka surfaced and other moderators responded, reports noted that the forum site had been shut down.
The victim's older brother then shared the Facebook post on NeoGAF and commented: "I'm 80% sure I know who the guy is, but I won't say it until she is ready to say it."
Gamers who were aware of Malka's purported history of sexual harassment allegations were quick to compile all the other accusations discussed on various internet platforms, where some had been posted several years ago.
Reddit user Adhiboy put up a thread chronicling -- with active URLs as proof -- various sexual harassment incidents that were linked to Malka's name. In the thread, Adhiboy wrote about another NeoGAF user named Polyh3dron who had commented on the latest sexual allegation against Malka and reportedly said "it's real."
Following Polyh3dron's comments, Adhiboy shared that the former was "banned from NeoGAF ... without any indication of misbehavior."
Earlier this month, reports mostly based on personal accounts linked famous film producer Harvey Weinstein to multiple cases of sexual harassment. Actresses and women working in the entertainment business shared stories that accused Weinstein of sexual harassment. The women included Ashley Judd, Gwyneth Paltrow, Lupita Nyong'o, Angelina Jolie, Kate Beckinsale, Lena Headey, Cara Delevingne, and more.
Recently, a former employee of Naughty Dog also claimed that he had been sexually harassed by a senior staff member. On the other hand, Naughty Dog and Sony denied the allegations.
These stories started the #MeToo online campaign that encouraged people to stand up against their abusers.
