DC Comics writer and creator of Vagrant Queen Magdalene Visaggio accused Batman: White Knight creator Sean Gordon Murphy of “Lovebombing.”
Visaggio’s accusations come after accusations against former Batgirl writer Cameron Stewart and Netflix’s Castlevania writer Warren Ellis.
The accusations against Murphy were made in a lengthy Twitter thread.
Visaggio began, “I don’t want to get into a whole thing about what happened between me and Sean Murphy (I’ve covered that already elsewhere, and it’s draining to recount) but while I need to categorically state that he never touched me, reading the accounts of others felt uncomfortably familiar.”
I don’t want to get into a whole thing about what happened between me and Sean Murphy (I’ve covered that already elsewhere, and it’s draining to recount) but while I need to categorically state that he never touched me, reading the accounts of others felt uncomfortably familiar.
— Magdalene Visaggio (@MagsVisaggs) June 29, 2020
Visaggio continued, “I am not looking for comfort and sympathy, so please no internet hugs or advice. I just wanna talk about what happened to me this weekend.”
The DC Comics and Eternity Girl writer added, “Again, Sean never ever touched me, or intimated he might do so. I am not accusing him of assault. But he did hook me and use me.”
I am not looking for comfort and sympathy, so please no internet hugs or advice. I just wanna talk about what happened to me this weekend.
Again, Sean never ever touched me, or intimated he might do so. I am not accusing him of assault. But he did hook me and use me.
— Magdalene Visaggio (@MagsVisaggs) June 29, 2020
The Vagrant Queen creator then went into specifics, “Everything from the unfulfilled promises of future professional and financial assistance to lovebombing, all in the service of making sure I’d defend him when he did problematic shit.”
Visaggio continued, “Textbook stuff I’ve spent days thinking over and talking about with other women he did it to.”
Everything from the unfulfilled promises of future professional and financial assistance to lovebombing, all in the service of making sure I’d defend him when he did problematic shit. Textbook stuff I’ve spent days thinking over and talking about with other women he did it to.
— Magdalene Visaggio (@MagsVisaggs) June 29, 2020
For those unfamiliar with the term lovebombing, Cosmopolitan describes it as the ” practice of showering a person with excessive affection and attention in order to gain control or significantly influence their behavior.”
Visaggio then details, “What scared me, more than anything Sean did, was how easily he did it to me. I wanted some of his shine, and he validated me during a period of intense career anxiety. I was not smarter than anyone else. I was not smart enough to see it.”
What scared me, more than anything Sean did, was how easily he did it to me. I wanted some of his shine, and he validated me during a period of intense career anxiety. I was not smarter than anyone else. I was not smart enough to see it.
— Magdalene Visaggio (@MagsVisaggs) June 29, 2020
The DC Comics writer then writes, “So, let’s take the focus off of Sean, because that’s not what matters here. It’s the fear. The *fear* that someone else could do the same or worse to me, and I might never realize what’s happening until it’s happened.”
So, let’s take the focus off of Sean, because that’s not what matters here. It’s the fear. The *fear* that someone else could do the same or worse to me, and I might never realize what’s happening until it’s happened.
— Magdalene Visaggio (@MagsVisaggs) June 29, 2020
Vissagio then details that every man the Vagrant Queen creator will encounter will be assumed to be a “potential abuser.”
Visaggio writes, “Over and over, in conversation with other women also dealing with the latest wave of exposures, there was a simple lesson: you need to protect yourself, and you do so by assuming every man you deal with is a potential abuser.
Over and over, in conversation with other women also dealing with the latest wave of exposures, there was a simple lesson: you need to protect yourself, and you do so by assuming every man you deal with is a potential abuser.
— Magdalene Visaggio (@MagsVisaggs) June 29, 2020
Visaggio then concluded by writing, “That’s what I needed time to process over crying jag after crying jag. The ground shifted beneath me. I do not live in the world I thought I did, where I can give dudes the benefit of the doubt in advance. Nope. Y’all gotta earn it now.”
That’s what I needed time to process over crying jag after crying jag. The ground shifted beneath me. I do not live in the world I thought I did, where I can give dudes the benefit of the doubt in advance. Nope. Y’all gotta earn it now.
— Magdalene Visaggio (@MagsVisaggs) June 29, 2020
Murphy has not responded to the accusations at the time of writing.
However, just a little over a year ago, Murphy had described Visaggio as his BFF.
Great times with my new BFF!! @MagsVisaggs pic.twitter.com/hz8wWjRfsO
— Sean Gordon Murphy (@Sean_G_Murphy) June 1, 2019
He would go on to describe that his favorite Visaggio comic was “The autobiography where she and Sean meet in a pub and complain about comics. :)”
The autobiography where she and Sean meet in a pub and complain about comics. 🙂 https://t.co/29WpOjjzwb
— Sean Gordon Murphy (@Sean_G_Murphy) August 21, 2019
Related: Report: SyFy Cancels Vagrant Queen After Just One Season
That relationship appeared to fray after Murphy announced he was doing a cover for Doug TenNapel’s Bigfoot Bill Vol. 2: Finger of Poseideon.
— Magdalene Visaggio (@MagsVisaggs) March 4, 2020
It seemed to deteriorate even further when earlier this month, Visaggio stated that Murphy was not reasonable guy.
He isn’t.
— Magdalene Visaggio (@MagsVisaggs) June 3, 2020
Visaggio is just the latest person to target Sean Gordon Murphy.
Back in March, Stephanie Cooke demanded that Murphy end his working relationship with Black Northcott describing Northcott as a “crappy person.”
Cooke’s targeting of Murphy came after Dungeons & Dragons artist Tess Fowler claimed that Murphy “supports bigots in a hate movement as well as supports that hate movement’s apologists.”
Today in comics apparently:
Known Batman writer, who supports bigots in a hate movement as well as supports that hate movement’s apologists, has a new imprint at DC and is hiring…bigots?
Lol
I told y’all in fucking 2017 dude was a problem. But ooo he makes Batman comics. pic.twitter.com/zhLBjf6ydn
— Tess Fowler (currently battling breast cancer💪😎) (@TessFowler) March 3, 2020
What do you make of Visaggio’s accusations against Murphy?