Activist Shaun King has been getting hit hard on social media after he threatened to sue another activist, Clarissa Brooks, for allegedly lying about him on Twitter. Bare with us as we try to follow this, because it plays out like a soap opera.
Brooks tweeted on Jan. 7, “Are folks going to hold Shaun King accountable to money he ‘raised’ for Cyntoia? Or is that going to disappear as well…” Reportedly, King never raised money for Cyntoia Brown. And Brooks deleted the tweet after she read King was suing people for tweeting about him. However, on Wednesday (Jan. 17), she received an email from King, which included his attorneys Benjamin Crump and Lee Merritt that threatened legal action if she didn’t apologize publicly and respond to “King’s satisfaction,” according to Brooks.
In addition, yesterday, King revealed that with the help of Crump and Merritt, he is suing people — including Clarissa Brooks — who allegedly spread lies about him. He wrote, “Talk shit. Crack jokes. Critique me. But when you post fabricated claims like this, you are in clear violation of the law. And we are fighting back.”
See the tweet that Brooks allegedly deleted:
Clarissa Brooks then wrote a lengthy statement on Twitter defending herself. See below:
She also wrote, “I did not retract my statement and will not be releasing a public apology.”
Now, King is being hit hard by some people on Twitter who do not understand why he would sue a Black woman considering all of the attacks he has received from white supremacists. Plus, there have been many questions about King’s handling of money in the past. User @knowyourIX wrote, “Shaun King is encouraging harassment of a young Black queer woman and member of our survivor family @ClarissaMBrooks. He has threatened to sue her if she didn’t respond to his liking for questioning his transparency. Now he is inciting violence against her.”
On the other hand, some people are defending King because he was allegedly defending himself. User @kaycola wrote, “So now because @shaunking blasted someone for posting something false about him he’s considered a bully? So if he didn’t have the following he had is it still bullying? Cmon y’all. I’m pro women & pro black but this is RIDICULOUS!!!! He has a right to sue & defend himself! Period.”
Wow. Sounds like everyone needs to just get off Twitter.
Nonetheless, King is getting hit hard. See the reactions below:
1.
Shaun King launched a full-on attack against a young woman who has 1% of the followers he has.
— The Hoarse Whisperer (@TheRealHoarse) January 17, 2019
Targeted harassment. Inexcusably poor. https://t.co/yHr8eXXHkA
2.
3.
As someone who was actually a victim last week of not one but TWO slanderous and defamatory articles in the Israeli press, I am sensitive to @shaunking’s concerns and for that reason I’m also upset about his handling. He’s been harsher about a tweet than I was about two articles.
— 🇧🇧 Ethereal Bisexual Chanda Prescod-Weinstein (@IBJIYONGI) January 17, 2019
4.
#ISupportClarissa and all the Black women Shaun King has doxxed, sued and attacked. as well as all the Black women organizers whose labour he has stolen. always. https://t.co/zokKqhWZ7E
— Sam (@SamTecle) January 17, 2019
5.
6.
So Shaun King, a protester of the states treatment of Black folk is now using the same mechanisms to harass and intimidate a Black woman
— George M Johnson (@IamGMJohnson) January 17, 2019
And you knee grows still supporting his fraudulence?
7.
Somebody should tell Shaun King that his house better be in order, because if he’s suing over an allegedly defamatory tweet, any defense lawyer would have a discovery FIELD DAY if even a quarter of the allegations against him are true.
— ⚖️Imani Gandy ⚖️ (@AngryBlackLady) January 16, 2019
Is he ready for that smoke? I doubt it.
8.
Shaun King said he’s going to save the Black community even if it means throwing every last one of you negroes in jail PERIODT. pic.twitter.com/iBSZn6ikDj
— BUY SUNSHINE FT AMORPHOUS (@shanejbernard) January 16, 2019