Have you heard of Trevor Bauer? Probably not unless you're a sports fan and specifically a baseball fan. He was a member of the hated (I can't help it) LA Dodgers in 2021. He was a great pitcher in their starting rotation who was an integral part of the team. Since he was such a great pitcher, he was making a lot of money. Like many millions! And he was destined to make even more as his career progressed.
But even if you aren't a sports fan you may have heard of him because he was the guy who was accused of rape and assault in June, 2021. The story made quite a splash in the papers and the fallout was enormous. At first he was suspended by the Dodgers and then after several months he was let go. His career was over. He was radioactive and no other team would touch him. Through it all he maintained his innocence.
At some point charges were dropped but his reputation and career was in shambles. So when the woman came after him in a civil suit, he countersued. And when he did this he had the right of discovery. And that's when it all came out. It was all a scam. The woman made it all up and even bragged about it in texts to a friend. Bad move. But once again, he's lost two years and the damage to his reputation has been enormous. By some estimates this whole sordid affair has cost him around $100 million.
I don't know if the whole thing is over, but so far there has been no impact on the woman. None. And there likely won't be any.
Now don't get me wrong. This case is an anomaly. Most sexual assault cases in our culture are valid. Most are the result of some asshole forcing himself on a woman and the results are devastating. He should be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.
But there are some cases in which the conventional narrative is not true. As a society we need to be open to alternative explanations and not jump to conclusions. There is a reason we put so much stock in the rule of law and due process in this country.
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