Yesterday, I was in receipt of a screenshot from Tracy Terhune's Facebook group, We Never Forget. The screenshot revealed Terhune boasting about his Christmas card which was a reproduction of one belonging to Rudolph Valentino. Terhune had inserted his name with that of Valentino's in the same font to make it look original.
I guess after all this time, I should not be surprised to learn it is incredibly still possible for Tracy Ryan Terhune to surmount even his own staggering heights of conceit. Yet, the length of time he has been bullying and publicly torturing my husband and me in the hopes he can drive us and our books away forever, never lessens the impact of news he has again desecrated the good name of Rudolph Valentino.. the long, long history of his well-documented and very public attacks on us makes the impact of each revelation profoundly worse.
This, because I despair now as I have for a good decade of my life... sinking in disbelief that this man, who bullies us mercilessly every day, is permitted to parade about as an expert on Valentino. I am morally outraged.
I pondered whether to address the issue of his Christmas card. How would I express my shock in seeing the name "Tracy Ryan Terhune" tucked neatly under the name of Rudolph Valentino?
Would I again post those threatening and disturbing images Terhune posts on that deceitful blog he runs under my book's title to divert my web traffic and attack us and our work?
Would I share his vicious comments about how all our work belongs in the trash can of Valentino history? Should I cite his homophobic, transphobic and oh so misogynistic remarks aimed at wounding me and my husband Renato?
How would I let his followers know that this man, who brandishes his collection of Rudy's earthly wares as his means to gain their absolute awe... how would I let them know he commits without apology, what in my opinion constitutes criminal acts against me, my husband and our business?
Should I again point out how for a decade Tracy Ryan Terhune has coordinated attacks on us with David Bret's killing blogs, and post proof of his passing information secretly on to Bret? Should I highlight Terhune's specific instructions to Bret to not reveal he was the one providing the fodder? Should I again quote Cindy Martin's revelations about Terhune's role as the censor and his organizing a “Campaign to Ruin Evelyn”? I had to think.
Valentino can obviously not say anything because he is without a voice. And those who could and should speak for him do not... they do not recognize and denounce Terhune's awful behavior nor correct the endless factual errors he metes out as his gospel truth about the life of Valentino. Either those who could speak for Valentino are unaware in their complicity with Terhune or even worse...they do know and do not care.
Some follower on Terhune's group chirped that Rudy would be pleased with the Christmas card defilement. Actually in my opinion I think Rudolph Valentino would be outraged.
And where does this kind of behavior end? Can we now expect to see the name Tracy Ryan Terhune added to, let's say the letters Rudy wrote to Jean Acker? Will we see them signed as “Rudy and Tracy Ryan Terhune”? Since he now owns most of those documents, what is to stop him? Would his followers praise him saying Rudy would be so pleased? Would the Valentino family thank him for the gesture?
And on that document where Valentino assigns Power of Attorney to George Ullman, will we now see the name Tracy Ryan Terhune inserted?
The mere fact that Tracy Ryan Terhune feels it is acceptable to add his name to an historical document of Valentino's...reveals to me that these are not important relics but are just toys for him. And Valentino's final resting place, the crypt is, in my opinion but a doll house for him to decorate. And the Christmas card but a whimsical party favor.
Perhaps in acts like this we see the real reason Terhune finds it all ok to banish our legitimate research and essentially burn our books. In all of these acts, in my opinion, he manifests no sincere interest in Valentino historically. Again in my opinion, Valentino is just a status symbol for him and it is all about his collection. For logic seems to dictate to me that without that collection I feel he would not be given the time of day.
I learned today that the online archival site archive.org is banned in China; this just as I am about to begin uploading all of my and Michael Morris' archival materials on that site. I had to think instantly that Tracy Terhune and Communist China have a good deal in common then regarding those archives being available. I just think Terhune might want to rethink his dictatorial hard line in banning our work and cease issuing such sweeping statements as his stating as fact that all of our work belongs in the trash can of Valentino history.
I think I can safely say what does in my opinion belong in that trash can of Valentino history... his Christmas card from that 100%, totally illusional and completely implausible couple, “Rudy and Tracy Ryan Terhune”, all tied up in a bow with the Valentino family's blessing.
Oh, the hubris! The only person who had the perfect and God-given right to sign their name on that sacred old card is Rudolph Valentino himself.
