My beloved Renato spent years shielding me from
the worst of the poison hurled our way — especially the bile spewed
on a blog which brazenly uses my book’s title, Affairs
Valentino, and is run by Tracy Ryan Terhune. I still remember
his opening post, posing as me writing, “My Book, Affairs Valentino
is Pure Fiction.”
Today, I opened an oddly titled folder on Renato’s
hard drive — catture schermo (“screen captures” in
Italian) — and found it overflowing with screenshots from Terhune's
Affairs Valentino blog which I had never seen. Every one of
them documented Terhune’s smear posts, meticulously saved.
I’ve long ago told the story of how David Bret
extorted me into closing my original Affairs Valentino blog
in 2011, threatening to open blogs in my family members’ names.
Terhune seized that moment, promising to run a blog under the title
of my book, “for the good” — but these screenshots show what he
was really doing: running a dedicated hit site for his campaign to
destroy me.
The flood of insults and lies upon lies number in
the hundreds. In his comment section, he provides a platform for
David Bret to violate a court order and run rampant. I scrolled
through Renato's, “catture schermo” file, in slideshow mode,
barely able to keep up with the sheer volume of attacks. And there,
in living color I found the ultimate proof of their obsession with my
book and with me personally.
Renato quietly collected it all, sharing some but
never telling me the full scope. I realize now what a testament that
was to his love for me — protecting me from the worst of it. But
now I have it, every word, every fabrication, every grotesque twist
of the actual truth.
Terhune has spent years gaslighting his audience
into believing my responses were “unprovoked.” These screenshots
prove otherwise. My god — they were provoked. Over and over
and over.
In my opinion, after witnessing years of his
documented malice conducted under my book’s title, it is a disgrace
that this man plays any role in the public remembrance of Rudolph
Valentino. He went too far. We had every right to defend ourselves.
We courageously did. I still do. And now, thanks to Renato, the
record will remain.
Below: Renato, preserving the record with
steadfast love and vigilance.
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