As Eleanor Gribbin gaslights her followers by claiming she has “never mentioned me” in her posts, she inadvertently confirms her long-running and despotic edict: that no one in her group Mad About the Boy may ever mention me, my late husband Renato, or any of our work on Valentino. That censorship alone tells the story.
It is astonishing that in 2025 a social media group would still enforce literary censorship—blacklisting authors by name and suppressing discussion simply because their work challenges the dogma approved by the group administrators. That’s not historical discourse; it’s cult behavior.
Gribbin has publicly demeaned me for years: mocking my credibility, distorting my work, and accusing me of tampering with historical sources like George Ullman’s memoir—all while sneering and posting feces emojis in reference to me and my commentary. In private, she continues the smears via direct messages, often targeting anyone who dares mention Affairs Valentino. I have seen the screenshots. I kept the receipts.
She claims I instigate “negative energy.” But I am not initiating this. I respond. I defend myself, my husband, and the integrity of our work. I speak plainly and factually.
If Eleanor Gribbin truly had no issue with me or my work, why the gag order? Why the years of insult and the constant whisper campaign?
Let me be clear: this is not a “forum.” It’s my personal blog. I have no members. But I do have a record—and I stand by every word posted here. So thank you, Ms. Gribbin, for directing people to come read it for themselves.
I will continue to speak my truth, document the suppression of historical literature, and call out defamation and censorship when I see it.
While Eleanor Gribbin claims she has “never mentioned me,” the following screenshots—just a few of many—prove otherwise. These are not isolated slips, but part of a years-long campaign to smear my name, mock my work, and censor all discussion of it within her forum.
1. Explicit Censorship with Mockery
A post banning any mention of my name, complete with smiling feces emojis—a tasteless and juvenile display beneath any serious administrator and posted with her co-administrator.
2. “Bad Smell” Comment Thread
This exchange shows Gribbin agreeing via coded mockery with the claim that I’m “a bad smell that won’t go away,” while she responds with the cryptic “If they only knew…” What exactly do they claim to know? The innuendo is purposeful, and it’s vile.
In response to a simple, polite question about my work, she replies that my books are banned and “an explanation is not necessary.” This is textbook silencing. This is literary censorship.
I do not post images like these lightly. But when someone publicly pretends to be above it all while privately engaging in bullying and censorship, it is necessary to show the truth.
