The #metoo movement made its way to the gay porn industry earlier this week, as performer Tegan Zayne tweeted a story about how fellow performer Topher DiMaggio allegedly raped him the night before they filmed a scene together.
Tegan talked about a story that related to a scene they both did for a studio called Cockyboys. According to Tegan, Topher pressured him into having sex the night before the scene while they were sharing the same quarters. He said that after the incident he felt “belittled and degraded” and “told how I’m such a girl.”
Topher denied the story originally, saying "He’s crazy and twists stories. He was so happy to film with me even the next day. It’s sad. I’m going to give it any attention.”
Now, Topher tried to again claim that he didn't do anything, except this time, he plagiarized someone else's statement who was also accused of sexual assault. That person, is music mogul Russell Simmons.
Str8UpGayPorn was the first to point this out, as the now-deleted tweet pretty much echoes the same thing that Russell tweeted.
Here's what Topher tweeted:
I vehemently deny all these allegations. These horrific accusations have shocked me to my core. All of my relations with this person have been consensual and willing. The current accusations against me range from the patently untrue to hurtful. Also, stating he WILLINGLY had sex with me (see screnshot below). Furthermore, he never said “no”. I’m hurt by these false accusations and malicious slanderous statements that are simply not true. The presumption of ‘innocent until proven guilty’ must not be replaced by “Guilty by Accusation.” Not wanting to further a relationship or not being friendly enough after having consensual sex doesn’t give the other person who had different expectations of a romance the right to accuse someone of something so awful. Rape is a very serious thing and not a word to be thrown around. To all my friends and followers please use this opportunity to open a healthy dialogue and not as an opportunity to attack or belittle anyone.
And this is what Russell Simmons said in an interview with The New York Times:
I vehemently deny all these allegations. These horrific accusations have shocked me to my core and all of my relations have been consensual. I am blessed to have shared extraordinary relationships, whether through work or love, with many great women; and I have enormous respect for the women’s movement worldwide and their struggle for respect, dignity, equality and power. I am devastated by any reason I may have given to anyone to say or think of me in the ways that are currently being described. In recent weeks, some former business, creative and romantic partners have aired grievances as claims I categorically reject. In some of these instances, financial motives and direct contradictory witness testimony has been supplied to the media, which has been completely left out of stories. In the last few days, one woman attempted to extort me for $500,000 only to recant her ridiculous claim. The current allegations sent to me by The New York Times range from the patently untrue to the frivolous and hurtful.The presumption of innocent until proven guilty must not be replaced by “Guilty by Accusation.”