This makes me despair

[Bumpitybumper]

I know there have been similar threads recently, but this really shocked me so I had to post.

Yesterday I learned through instagram that rapper XXXTentacion (who I had never head of before) had been shot dead. As I hadn't heard of him before I thought I would find out a bit more about him and it turns out he was awaiting trial for assaulting his then pregnant girlfriend. The catalogue of alleged abuse is absolutely disgusting and is detailed here if anyone can stomach reading it:

www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-5862825/XXXTentacions-alleged-abuse-victim-devastated-death.html

The article ends with his attorney Bogenschutz claiming that the rapper was in the 'process of reaching a resolution' on the abuse charges 'that would have permitted him to go on with his life and career'. This was in the context of the attorney basically admitting that there was some truth in what was being alleged, so there is no pretence that this man didn't do at least some of the disgusting acts he is being accused of.

Obviously upon his death lots of other rappers including Kanye West messaging "RIP" etc on their social media.

Am I alone in just feeling absolute despair about this? The way this man treated his pregnant girlfriend was absolutely horrendous, but yet he clearly thought he could buy his way out of any legal repercussions. Then you have all the other rappers and fans that are clearly prepared to overlook these incidents because he was so "talented". I note noone bangs on about JImmy Saville's talents or Gary Glitter's talents (rightly so!), But yet when a woman is the victim of the abuse its far more acceptable to brush it all under the carpet!

I've noticed over the years that when anyone in the spotlight dies (even high profile rapists or murderers) there is always someone who will say "ah they were such a good person".

I've never seen anyone stand up and say "im glad they're dead because they were a complete CF".

For a 20 year old he had a long line of charges against him and something inside suspects this was not your run of the mill armed robbery

The alleged multiple assaults are detailed here.

It's almost beyond belief that a man so young should have become so expert at abuse. He was facing a life in jail, it seems. His ex is trying to Crowdfund vital surgery.

I can't regret this man's death. It was always going to turn out bad.

Bloody hell. That is grim. How does someone so young learn to behave in such a sadistic way?

I just couldn't believe the outpouring of grief feom mostly young people when it was announced he died. I know there has been some publicity around the charges, but it doesn't seem to have totally tarnished his name like it should have.

At least in the UK his music wasn't played on BBC radio stations, apparently because of this history. Although I wonder if that makes him some kind of rebel hero to some.

She's having to crowdfund for surgery.

Women can't leave without support.
If we go the way of the US and abolish the safety net of social security, social housing and the NHS, this is how many women's lives will end up.

That's horrendous. His poor girlfriend. She must have been terrified of him.

Thank you for sharing that here.

Could you pm me the link to her crowdfund if you know it Upstart? Thank you

Celebrities including Louis Theroux have been tweeting about what a sad loss it is. Theroux said something like “in spite of his personal demons...” Yes, when men beat up their pregnant girlfriends it is definitely because of personal demons.

The girlfriend may lose the sight in one eye due to the beating and has a kickstarter to raise funds for surgery (good old America).

Note that he also beat his cell mate nearly to death in prison for being gay and supposedly looking at him.

@gendercritter
Here's a link about her injuries;

www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/music/news/xxxtentacion-girlfriend-geneva-ayala-dead-eye-crimes-gofundme-surgery-abuse-dead-miami-shot-a8406856.html

I hadn't heard of him, just saw the news on gossip paper website and the tributes from people on twitter. These are horrific allegations, hopefully the woman can rebuild her life now.

Also just to add - his girlfriend has been suffering terrible harassment from his fans. Even before he died. If you look at the twitter and Instagram comments on posts about him a good 50% will be people calling his girlfriend a lying bitch, wishing she’d died instead of him and so on. And some of those comments are from young women...

My big fear is that his young fans will think that this kind of behaviour is aspirational so the boys will replicate it and the girls will accept it. Rap culture seems to have a big problem with its treatment of women and this definitely doesn't help.

I am literally about Louis Theroux's comment... "Personal demons" indeed. I understand there is a certain tragic element to someone dying so young, but let's not airbrush history.

Rap is often so negative. Even when these people make it they're still glorifying violence and sexism in their songs and videos. It's no wonder so many get shot dead.

She really does not know how lucky she is. He was a very dangerous abuser (and seemingly, only 18 when he inflicted those injuries upon her). A bit confused on the timeline, that eye injury attack seems to be 2016, and pregnant then? So did she have the baby? Crowdfunding two years later?

Had he lived, and not been murdered himself, there is a good chance he would have killed her. She needs to realise - that is not love - he did not love her.

Found the Theroux tweet. Urgh.

Agree that rap definitely has very obvious misogyny problems (see also: how Chris Brown continues to be revered). But I would add that the problem with men retaining public respect after abusing women spreads across every single sphere. There are countless men who have had their abuse swept under the carpet. Michael Fassbender, for example, is alleged to have dragged his ex girlfriend along the ground from a moving car, casting serous injuries. As well as a catalogue of other abuse. There are many more beloved public figures accused of similar; he’s just the first that springs to mind. It’s just never spoken about. To put it simply, no one cares.

Typos!

Not sure about the baby but I think the eye injury is an ongoing thing - part of the fractured area pressing on a nerve or something? Sounds grim in any case.

Wow that abuse is horrific.

Presumably if she couldn't afford treatment initially then there are ongoing issues that have been left untreated, poor woman.

That comment from Theroux is just grim. To gloss over what he did as personal demons is just appalling. Men that other men think are talented seem to be forgiven nearly anything.

@SlothSlothSloth
Yes, the news about former President Nixon abusing his wife certainly proved that.

Just reading Kanye West's tweet and he says 'I never told you how much you inspired me when you were here thank you for existing'. It just seems so distasteful in the context of what XXXTentacion is alleged to have done. How can someone so abusive be deemed inspirational?

God I'd seen Louis Theroux's tweet and had no idea. Maybe people don't speak the truth because it's so taboo to say "Yes! The world just became a slightly better place because this person isn't in it."

I'd never heard of him but my daughter came flying downstairs yesterday practically frothing at the mouth at the fact this man that beat his pregnant girlfriend, she's now got blindness problems and he's being revered all over her social media.

This makes me sick. Chris brown is another one, misogynistic arrogant little prick and he does still get played on the radio, not on mine because I turn it straight off.
I hate the way it just gets brushed under the carpet, like beating and abusing women doesn't matter. I guess to lots of people it doesn't, we're only women after all.
His ex girlfriend looks really young, she will be suffering those injuries for a long time although she has raised the money she needs for the surgery now. Poor woman being abused all over again by his fans it's disgusting.
So disappointed in Louis.