In the wake of West Side Story‘s post-premiere hoopla, the Ansel Elgort crazies, as predicted, have returned in force.

I’ve just asked a few of these pitchforkers to please post factual evidence that proves Elgort, co-lead of West Side Story, is in fact a predator, a sexual assaulter and/or a pedophile. Because my understanding (and please forgive if there’s something substantial that I’ve missed) is that Elgort isn’t guilty of a damn thing except for having possibly behaved brusquely (i.e., insensitively, heartlessly) with this or that lass.

Consideration #1: The “Gabby” episode — the one that happened in 2014 and blew up on Twitter for three or four days in late June 2020 — is nothing, or at least nothing indictable.

Consideration #2: I don’t think flirtatious texts between a 20something Elgort and this or that teenaged girl are proof of anything.

Here’s how I put it 18 days ago: If and when the hair-trigger Twitter mob tries to to revive that idiotic Ansel Elgort + “Gabby” narrative about alleged statutory rape, just remember that the whole story was completely fraudulent. ‘

The story ignited in June 2020 and ran out of gas after three or four days.

Ansel and “Gabby’s” relationship happened in New York State in late 2014, when she was old enough (17) to consent. Elgort turned 20 on 3.14.14. He and Gabby were sexual and then Elgort hurt her feelings by ignoring her messages in some kind of passive-aggressive way. That’s all it was. It was nothing. Relationships will occasionally leave bruises. I know what it feels like to be casually dumped or abruptly ignored by a lover, but it happens. Tough shit, life in the big city, etc.

“Canyon Coyote” responds: “My point isn’t that Elgort did anything wrong but there is a perception that he’s part of the ‘bad men’ group. It seems like dudes who fall into that lot, fairly or unfairly, consistently have to cope with whisper campaigns against them for years. The Aziz Ansari bad-date story is still a thing and he did was act in a presumptuous or less-than-fully-sensitive manner.