It's been a wild 24 hours for X-Men '97 fans. When Head Writer Beau DeMayo, who was fired from the series in March, suggested his name was removed from season 2's credits for posting LGBTQ+-themed fan art, Marvel Studios hit back with a scathing statement of its own.
The trades alluded to the "egregious nature" of his behaviour being alleged sexual misconduct. However, it's Jeff Sneider who has decided to elaborate on what reportedly happened during DeMayo's time in charge of the show.
It's claimed that DeMayo sent nude photos of himself in sexually suggestive "hero" poses to several young male staffers working on X-Men '97. His excuse was that they could be used as "inspiration" for the animated series (DeMayo also runs a non-explicit OnlyFans account which is previously said to have upset Disney).
The Head Writer was told to stop sending these photos but allegedly continued. Sneider also claims that DeMayo groped an assistant on multiple occasions and was considered emotionally and physically abusive towards staffers.
More details can be found at The Insneider, and it appears DeMayo has chosen this as his hill to die on. Here's what his lawyer Bryan Freedman told Deadline earlier today:
"Having much experience with Disney, the playbook is always the same. Family friendly on the outside, but secretly attempting to plant illegal unconscionable items in contracts that silence the truth and stop the employee/customer from asserting basic constitutional rights. As we will explain through detailed examples which we will roll out in detail one by one, Disney’s model is very clear and a repetitive illegal pattern."
"Once it gets challenged or exposed, the gaslighting and redirection of the blame toward anyone willing to tell the truth starts through an international well oiled publicity machine. The problem for Disney is that when they go up against someone who has concrete evidence of this happening over 100 times, many of which have led to them settling hundreds of cases if not thousands to try and continue to control critics, employees and even lawyers who sue them."
"The problem for them is that I have the evidence and clients willing to be truthful and they know it. These are actually facts not argument or conjecture. Over the next few months, with the brave help of those who have been illegally silenced, retaliated for simply telling the truth and then destroyed for it, one by one this bullying and illegal conduct will be exposed to the government."
"Beau DeMayo wants nothing from Marvel/Disney except the truth. He will bravely tell the truth. So will I. Stand by."
Stay tuned for additional updates on this developing story as we have them.