Anime industry veteran Vic Mignogna is currently facing an abundance of sexual harassment allegations after numerous victims of his misconduct have begun to speak out. Mignogna, best known for his vast body of voiceover work in English-dubbed anime, is being accused of a years-long history of unwanted touching, advances, and more by dozens of convention-goers and fellow voice talent.
Mignogna is best known for his long list of localized roles, which includes Edward Elric from Fullmetal Alchemist, Broly from Dragon Ball Z and Dragon Ball Super, and Qrow Branwen from Rooster Teeth’s RWBY web series. Disconcertingly, the frequent neglect of basic boundaries that Mignogna is being accused of has been a poorly kept secret of the anime localization scene for years prior to this most recent wave of accusers stepping forward with their experiences. This time around, though, the industry is confronting Mignogna over his alleged crimes and imposing hefty consequences.
News of Mignogna’s history of sexual misconduct (most of which seemingly occurred while on the convention circuit) made its way out of the shadows and into the mainstream when Funimation and Rooster Teeth separately announced that they would no longer be working with the purported offender. This spurred io9 to conduct interviews with approximately two dozen of Mignogna’s accusers, censoring their names to protect their identities. Multiple women recounted their stories of Mignogna inappropriately touching them and aggressively kissing them, with one voice actress recalling a traumatic experience in which Mignogna kissed her and forced her onto his hotel bed, only being saved from further assault by a “door knock.” Another industry peer asserts that, after a separate instance of harassment, Mignogna convinced her to briefly visit his hotel room. When she tried to leave, Mignogna forcibly embraced her and began caressing the backs of her thighs without consent, repeating, “‘Let me be sweet to you’ - over and over, at least five or six times.”
While Mignogna acknowledges these events and others, he consistently argues that each of these encounters were consensual in nature. Nevertheless, the emergence of these stories - which span nearly two decades - has cost the fallen voice actor some of his biggest roles, and almost all of his scheduled appearances at conventions in 2019 have been cancelled. While the #MeToo movement has made a strong impression on Hollywood and has fostered an environment in which accusers like Mignogna’s can relate their experiences and finally be heard, it’s not clear if the anime industry’s current avoidance of Mignogna will be wholesale considering that Bohemian Rhapsody director Bryan Singer was still slated to direct the now-delayed Red Sonja for weeks even after well-founded allegations of his sexual abuse of children surfaced. Similarly, even when celebrities are the accusers themselves, they often are not believed by their peers and have to either bear their burden in silence or, in the case of Terry Crews, take to Twitter to defend themselves.
So far, no legal action has been taken against Mignogna. With statutes of limitations on sexual assault and harassment varying widely from state-to-state, even if suits are filed against Mignogna, it’s possible that he may face few to no legal consequences besides out-of-court settlements if he is found guilty due to the age of his alleged crimes. However, his accusers’ descriptions of his sexual misconduct are objectively revolting, and it can be hoped that even his staunchest fans would want the truth - no matter how ugly - to come out through due process regardless of the outcome.
More: Bohemian Rhapsody Loses GLAAD Nomination After Bryan Singer Allegations
Source: io9
