Thread by @sirhottest

🧵 THREAD: 'Get Mr. Shaffer to Stop Talking About Dicks so Much'

@SydneyLWatson is suing the Blaze @blazeTV @theblaze for retaliation, wrongful termination, and sex and religious discrimination based on alleged abuse perpetrated by @ElijahSchaffer, according to a copy of the… twitter.com/i/web/status/1…

Through her counsel @KurtSchlichter, Watson on Wednesday filed a four-count lawsuit against Blaze Media in federal court that alleges Glenn Beck's media empire created and tolerated "a hostile work environment" and allowed sexual harassment, retaliation, and discrimination… twitter.com/i/web/status/1…

Watson and Shaffer starred in the widely beloved You Are Here (YAH) BlazeTV podcast from September 2021 through April 2022.

Per the complaint, the maximum value of Watson's multi-year agreement with Blaze was approximately "$1,275,000."

However, the seven-figure deal is only… twitter.com/i/web/status/1…

Watson chose Blaze because the company represented itself as "an incubator of talent," and pointed to @DLoesch and @TomiLahren's success as evidence of such.

She also said the company's "moral values" were important to her decision.

Unfortunately, trouble in paradise began as early as December 2021, leading to multiple complaints made to management and "weekly interactions" with them since January 2022.

Watson complained to Blaze leadership of Shaffer's misogyny, drinking on set, and "grossly sexual… twitter.com/i/web/status/1…

Watson claims Shaffer's "persona" on YAH became "increasingly aggressive and soon began to veer into outright misogyny."

"He appeared to enjoy the intimidation factor that his physical size gave him with respect to Ms. Watson," according to the complaint.

"The choice of… twitter.com/i/web/status/1…

Notably, Watson points to YAH's December 3 episode featuring "notorious bigot" Nick Fuentes as evidence of the increasingly hostile work environment.

"He was grossly misogynistic, and most troubling was how this appeared to be condoned by Mr. Schaffer," Watson says of Fuentes's… twitter.com/i/web/status/1…

Next, Watson points to the infamous @jackmurphylive episode and Shaffer's reaction as another example of the sexist, hostile workplace.

Watson claims Shaffer refused to control Murphy because Watson, as a woman, would have looked "weaker" if Shaffer demanded his guest "stop his… twitter.com/i/web/status/1…

Watson accused Shaffer of "unilaterally" booking several guests with "particularly contemptible and sexist opinions towards women," after the show returned from the holiday break in January 2022.

As a "serious journalist," Watson did not agree to assume the role of "the… twitter.com/i/web/status/1…

The complaint also takes a shot at YAH's most loyal viewers.

Watson blasted Shaffer for cultivating an audience that uses the idea of being "traditional" as a "cover for its extreme misogyny."

“Such viewers often flooded YAH's discussions with superchats and grossly sexist… twitter.com/i/web/status/1…

Shaffer and the audience had a "running gag" for Watson to read fans' super chats that were allegedly "coded dog whistles that referenced grossly misogynistic and/or anti-Semitic comments," unbeknownst to Watson.

Shaffer "encouraged this humiliation," despite her complaints to… twitter.com/i/web/status/1…

Much of the alleged conduct that contributed to the hostile work environment was "explicitly sexual in nature."

Shaffer "would endlessly reference sex, often specifically gay sex, and discuss penises, among other sexual matter (often graphically), in front of the guests and Ms.… twitter.com/i/web/status/1…

However, Watson told Cardon to speak with Shaffer because Shaffer allegedly refused to listen to women.

Shaffer's apparent refusal to listen to a woman "was insulting" and "damaged" Watson's ability to perform her duties.

Watson also complained that it was "impossible to work… twitter.com/i/web/status/1…

The YAH team held a two-hour meeting in March, which Blaze President Gaston Mooney was present for, where Watson expressed how Shaffer's "constant sexism and hostile, unprofessional behavior on the show distracted and humiliated her, making it impossible for her to do her job."… twitter.com/i/web/status/1…

Shaffer then had a "tantrum" where he refused to sit in on YAH production meetings "until his demands were met."

Frustrated with Watson's disapproval of YAH's guests, Shaffer refused to help select guests, which "increased the burden on Ms. Watson."

Blaze "repeatedly promised"… twitter.com/i/web/status/1…

Watson notes that Shaffer's social media interactions are a "component of his participation in the show," and he used these interactions to continue his harassment.

Watson pointed to this April tweet from Shaffer in response to @SebGorka as evidence of the online harassment.… twitter.com/i/web/status/1…

After that April tweet, Watson told Blaze CEO Cardon and President Gaston that she could no longer continue working on YAH.

Cardon then informed Shaffer of Watson's departure and told him the show was over.

A few weeks after leaving YAH, Blaze gave Watson the green light to… twitter.com/i/web/status/1…

At the time, Shaffer tweeted, "Finding out about my show's future on twitter along with the public like."

https://twitter.com/ElijahSchaffer/status/1525741659534684167

In response, Watson said he had "known for weeks" that show was over and blasted him for "adding further dishonesty to the rumour mill."

https://twitter.com/SydneyLWatson/status/1525908958153687041

Side note: I tried to find YAH clips to add to this thread, but it appears Blaze has made every episode private and rebranded the channel for the recent launch of Prime Time with @alexstein99.

https://twitter.com/PodAwful/status/1623455385872113668

Watson's complaint goes on to accuse Shaffer of telling several people, including Info Wars's Harrison Smith and Tucker Carlson Originals director Scooter Downey, that he had to sue Watson "to keep her quiet" because she allegedly tried to get Shaffer's wife to divorce him.

She… twitter.com/i/web/status/1…

In September 2022, Blaze ultimately cut ties with Shaffer after "an investigation regarding a recent personnel matter."

https://twitter.com/BlazeTV/status/1572056613909073922

Watson is seeking damages for "mental anguish, pain and suffering, lost wages and benefits (both back pay and front pay)," punitive damages "in the highest amount under law," and an award of attorneys' fees.

"But for the discriminatory and retaliatory actions by The Blaze based… twitter.com/i/web/status/1…

FULL DISCLOSURE: I appeared on two February episodes of YAH. I will not express my thoughts, I'm just here to report the facts of an interesting lawsuit.

I will say though I am grateful to Elijah, Sydney, and the entire Blaze Media crew for providing the opportunity to speak on… twitter.com/i/web/status/1…