Press Owes Gigantic Apology To Palantir Founder Over Fake Rape Claims

Article here. Excerpt:

’"Horrifying. “Sickening.” “Horrific.” That’s how tech and mainstream news outlets irresponsibly and negligently reported on false rape accusations against Silicon Valley venture capitalist Joe Lonsdale, who was convicted in the media long before he cleared his name in court.

The story began when Lonsdale was accused of rape by his former intern, Elise Clougherty, whom he had previously mentored while she was a student at Stanford University. Between 2012 and 2013, Clougherty and Lonsdale were in a relationship. After the relationship ended, Clougherty would allege that it was physically and emotionally abusive and that Lonsdale engaged in “hundreds of non-consensual, and often violent, sexual acts.” Clougherty has now withdrawn all of her claims, and the case has been dropped.

Lonsdale, who filed a counterclaim of defamation, said that Clougherty was hurt that he had ended the relationship and described her claims as a “vengeful, personal attack” aimed at hurting his career. In a statement, Lonsdale claimed to have a text from Clougherty to a friend, in which she described her plans as a “Joe take-down scheme.”'