Coughlin's Former Pairs Partner Alleges He Abused Her

[CaliSteve]

Guarantee somewhere some John Coughlin fan is trying to dig up dirt on Bridget.

Yup! And they started to troll her FB Account.

 

[CaliSteve]

Clearly this is a "false flag" operation, commonly practiced on FB and other social media by Radical mad Lefties. They register as obvious "pro Trump" and "far right", make extreme statements to cause provocations and to stir up anger on sensitive issues. It is a well known tactic of the Radical Left.

Its a well-known tactic period. Not left, not right.

 

[Tinami Amori]

Its a well-known tactic period. Not left, not right.

In general, historically, yes. Currently, it's the Far Left that are doing it frequently. We're going off subject. I'll end my portion here. feel free to disagree.

 

[Lara111]

I am glad the lady spoke out. Finally people are learning details, and at least now we know that it was reasonable to suspect JC of at least a "statutory rape".

The "abuse" term is still an issue for me. I would like to hear more specifics; did he "force her physically", or just actively and persuasively "seduced her" into relationship?. To me there is a difference, especially since their partnership lasted 2 years.. and because of this mention in the Kansas City article, i too find it interesting....[/QUOTE]


I also need to hear specifics before I am on one or the other side. If he lived with her family how would not family know anything about the abuse that was going on for years? Just does not make sense. Figure skating parents are very involved in their kids lives most of the time.

 

[meggonzo]

I also need to hear specifics before I am on one or the other side. If he lived with her family how would not family know anything about the abuse that was going on for years? Just does not make sense. Figure skating parents are very involved in their kids lives most of the time.

Kids are molested all the time without the parents/other parent knowing about it.

 

[Debbie S]

The insistence that this all started over someone being jealous of him and trying to keep him from getting a commentating job (someone remind me who specifically started that- was it his sister?)

It was from the interview with his father and sister. I can't remember exactly who it was attributed to. It's possible that John may have told his family that even though he knew it wasn't true. We'll never know.

And it still remains-- if it was indeed because of a commenting position, why Modlin and Maurizi wanted to get in touch with certain individuals involved in the situation following his death.

So Modlin (who violated just about every rule of crisis communications with her comment yesterday) and Maurizi knew the accusers and tried to contact them? Or did they try to determine the identity of the accusers and were hopefully unsuccessful, since that's supposed to be confidential?

 

[Perky Shae Lynn]

I meant to agree with you, and I apologize for anything I said that you thought made you look like a monster. Innocent people do kill themselves (that is why I said the victim made a factual error in saying that they don't) and I don't consider pointing out the victim's factual error to be an attack on her.

No I get it, don't worry. There were some other posts, basically suggesting that we should question our humanity for pointing out that the suicide comment wasn't thoughtful.

 

[JamieElena]

More that still bothers me:

John having said he's not allowed to comment on the situation and that they weren't telling him anything (ie. he knows nothing about where it came from) - we've known for a while now that is not true and that he had certain rights.
The insistence that this all started over someone being jealous of him and trying to keep him from getting a commentating job (someone remind me who specifically started that- was it his sister?) - are we now to believe that the at least four and maybe as many as ten people all colluded together because they all wanted said position or were to benefit because of that?
And it still remains-- if it was indeed because of a commenting position, why Modlin and Maurizi wanted to get in touch with certain individuals involved in the situation following his death.

Yes, it's clear John lied to Christine Brennan (and presumably others close to him) that he wasn't being told anything - as has been mentioned many times, he could have asked SafeSport for hearing.

I believe the story about a jealous rival in commentating came from the medical examiner's report.

 

[Artistic Skaters]

There is a new Washington Post article that has additional comments given in a phone interview by Namiotka's attorney.

*** Former skater accuses ex-partner who killed himself of sexually abusing her for two years :
https://www.washingtonpost.com/spor...illed-himself-sexually-abusing-her-two-years/

John Manly, the lawyer who represents Namiotka and two other women who were minors when they allegedly were abused by Coughlin, said her social-media reaction was prompted by frustration over criticism from Coughlin’s supporters.

“My client and the other two women I represent have had to endure a maelstrom of support for the perpetrator from people who know literally nothing about the case,” Manly said in a phone interview. “They’ve been accused of killing him and I think what you saw from my client is finally, you know, a really courageous act of speaking up and saying, ‘He did do this and I was a child.’”

Manly said he and his client believe U.S. Figure Skating could have stopped the abuse.

“The real tragedy here is that my client believes, as do I, that what Mr. Coughlin was doing was known to people at U.S. Figure Skating who were in a position to stop it and they also knew that he had done it,” he said. " . . . When you have multiple accusers over generations who don’t know each other telling the same story, that’s not a good sign if you’re trying to show you’re innocent.

“ . . . Instead, they allowed this false narrative to be put out by Mr. Coughlin and later his supporters that he’s just wrongfully accused by crazy women, and nothing could be further from the truth. You’d think from the way they handled this that it was 1969 and not 2019.”

 

[LeafOnTheWind]

Or did they try to determine the identity of the accusers and were hopefully unsuccessful, since that's supposed to be confidential?

This is the part that concerns me the most about the culture in figure skating ever since this story broke. There were too many people who sounded like they were aware of who the accusers were. It reinforces my belief that US Figure Skating has a huge culture problem. I wonder how many people were treating this like standard rink gossip and had no respect for privacy or even thought about it.

I also had said at one point US Pairs felt more like a dating game rather than development of competitive pairs. I do wonder how much this contributed and continues to contribute to a bad environment. How much has US Figure Skating done to address the date/breakup cycles? I think they have put pressure on the teams to focus on competition more because they were breaking up before they could really accomplish anything competitively. I would hope that they show more concern about this type of environment contributing to abuse factors as well.

 

[JamieElena]

No I get it, don't worry. There were some other posts, basically suggesting that we should question our humanity for pointing out that the suicide comment wasn't thoughtful.

I get this. While not here on FSU, many of those calling her out for this on FB, were the same people saying pure rotten & evil/harrassing things to her.

 

[CaliSteve]

In general, historically, yes. Currently, it's the Far Left that are doing it frequently. We're going off subject. I'll end my portion here. feel free to disagree.

This will be my last post on the matter as well, but I feel the opposite from you. Why is that? Because we tend to overlook tactics from groups that we sympathize with aka personal bias.

 

[MacMadame]

"Grooming happens" that statement speaks volumes.

And not good volumes.

From my experience, some girls with the help of their mothers are extremely unreasonable and blame the partner for mere fact he exists.

That sentence is disgusting. IME some people will do anything to blame the accuser when it comes to sexual abuse.

Some of those skaters felt very strongly that they did not want to wear those damn hats, but Delilah didn't give them a choice.

That actually makes me feel a bit better about some of those people.

I believe the story about a jealous rival in commentating came from the medical examiner's report.

The medical report was quoting a family member. This is the story that John's family is telling. That it's all one person's spite.

Given that there were at least 3 reports to Safe Sport and now reports of 10 women coming forward, that is clearly ridiculous IMO.

 

[skatemomaz]

I am glad the lady spoke out. Finally people are learning details, and at least now we know that it was reasonable to suspect JC of at least a "statutory rape".

The "abuse" term is still an issue for me. I would like to hear more specifics; did he "force her physically", or just actively and persuasively "seduced her" into relationship?. To me there is a difference, especially since their partnership lasted 2 years.. and because of this mention in the Kansas City article, i too find it interesting....

I also need to hear specifics before I am on one or the other side. If he lived with her family how would not family know anything about the abuse that was going on for years? Just does not make sense. Figure skating parents are very involved in their kids lives most of the time.

Are you fecking kidding me? Did you learn or understand nothing from the Larry Nassar case?

 

[JamieElena]

And not good volumes.

The medical report was quoting a family member. This is the story that John's family is telling. That it's all one person's spite.

Given that there were at least 3 reports to Safe Sport and now reports of 10 women coming forward, that is clearly ridiculous IMO.

Yes, that is my recollection as well regarding the origin and agree, it's all spite.

 

[tony]

So Modlin (who violated just about every rule of crisis communications with her comment yesterday) and Maurizi knew the accusers and tried to contact them? Or did they try to determine the identity of the accusers and were hopefully unsuccessful, since that's supposed to be confidential?

They absolutely did try to establish contact, and they know better then to try to say otherwise at this point. They had to have been clued in by either John— which is extremely problematic, or others that knew who said skaters were, but I don’t know if that information was really as easy to get via rink gossip as some people are thinking.

 

[tony]

Given that there were at least 3 reports to Safe Sport and now reports of 10 women coming forward, that is clearly ridiculous IMO.

And that’s what I’m getting at. The story from Coughlin’s family and friends’ end (and he himself) has been all over the place from the beginning.

 

[canbelto]

What is not clear to me is why she waited for so long and why she did not leave the abusive partner. I also did not get what exactly he did to abuse her. From my experience, some girls with the help of their mothers are extremely unreasonable and blame the partner for mere fact he exists.

And ... you're automatically on my ignore list for making such a vile comment.

 

[once_upon]

I haven't followed US pairs for a while so I'm in the dark about "the whole thing with Caydee". What happened between them?

This is from pages back, but it could refer to what some including me thought was a large age difference, her underage and their public comments about an off ice relationship. Plus the exhibition number that they did, can't remember the name "put my hat on" or something like that.

The story about John saying it was someone who was competing for a job never made sense. Nor saying he that he couldn't address or know anything.

 

[Debbie S]

Plus the exhibition number that they did, can't remember the name "put my hat on" or something like that.

It was "You Can Leave Your Hat On" but I think Caydee did that with her former partner, Jeremy Barrett.

Yes, Caydee and John were dating at the time he split with Caitlin and Caydee was 17 at the time.

 

[Tavi]

Quoting myself:
I am 100% certain, with the receipts as they say, that these two were trying to contact the accusers right after Coughlin's suicide.

Yes I read your post and the article. But according to the article it was Tara Modlin who made the “unstable” comment; Craig Maurizi was not mentioned.

Yet you wrote:

“If, Maurizi and Modlin are now, as a married couple and as the agent and agent's husband of Coughlin, saying that one accuser is 'an unstable person' WHY did they attempt to talk to anyone?

You also said

“Unstable much? Shame on Craig Maurizi, especially.”

Tara Modlin’s comment was obnoxious and unwarranted, but just because Maurizi is married to her doesn’t mean that by extension he said it too, or that he’s responsible for her actions, or that his thoughts are identical to hers.

And even assuming you’re correct that both Maurizi and Modlin attempted to contact the victims immediately after Coughlin died, unless you know what motivated them - and my impression is that you don’t know - how do you know their behavior was “shameful”?

Just to be clear, I don’t know either Maurizi or Modlin or what they did or didn’t do, and I’m not defending her - her comment was certainly out of line. But in situations like this I think it’s best to stick to facts.

 

[UGG]

I am glad the lady spoke out. Finally people are learning details, and at least now we know that it was reasonable to suspect JC of at least a "statutory rape".

The "abuse" term is still an issue for me. I would like to hear more specifics; did he "force her physically", or just actively and persuasively "seduced her" into relationship?. To me there is a difference, especially since their partnership lasted 2 years.. and because of this mention in the Kansas City article, i too find it interesting....

I also need to hear specifics before I am on one or the other side. If he lived with her family how would not family know anything about the abuse that was going on for years? Just does not make sense. Figure skating parents are very involved in their kids lives most of the time.[/QUOTE]

Uh unless you are completely ignorant on the subject of abuse, which it sounds like you are, a child being abused right under everyone’s nose happens in most abuse cases. It’s bit uncommon.

 

[tony]

Tara Modlin’s comment was obnoxious and unwarranted, but just because Maurizi is married to her doesn’t mean that by extension he said it too, or that he’s responsible for her actions, or that his thoughts are identical to hers.

And even assuming you’re correct that both Maurizi and Modlin attempted to contact the victims immediately after Coughlin died, unless you know what motivated them - and my impression is that you don’t know - how do you know their behavior was “shameful”?

Just to be clear, I don’t know either Maurizi or Modlin or what they did or didn’t do, and I’m not defending her - her comment was certainly out of line. But in situations like this I think it’s best to stick to facts.

I’m not asking for you to stick to anything other than what you want to- but the facts aren’t there- at all- at this point. I didn’t say anything about their immediate snooping around after his death, but now that she has gone on record and said something that idiotic, the whole picture needs to be painted.

I know what the motivation was for the attempted contact, and I have no doubt now that one person has spoken up that more will follow- hopefully including more details about Modlin and Maurizi.

All I’m saying is that it’s an absolute joke for Maurizi to have gone through what he says he did and then they go behind the scenes to do some ‘work’... only to have her reappear and shut down any concept of someone being credible in a situation very much like her husband is dealing with. So yes, maybe it’s Tara texting now, but he was most certainly involved, too. So yes, still shame on him.

 

[UGG]

You know what is so interesting to me? Looking at comments on John’s sister’s page and the outpouring love in the comments (nothing posted after March though) vs the vile disgustingness on Bridget’s page currently.

 

[WillyElliot]

I am glad the lady spoke out. Finally people are learning details, and at least now we know that it was reasonable to suspect JC of at least a "statutory rape".

I also need to hear specifics before I am on one or the other side. If he lived with her family how would not family know anything about the abuse that was going on for years? Just does not make sense. Figure skating parents are very involved in their kids lives most of the time.

Please correct me if I'm wrong, but I thought she said the abuse happened at her parents' home in NJ. The legal age of consent there is 16. Hence, not statutory rape. In Florida, it is also legal if the girl is 16 and the guy is 23 or younger (Isn't that where he trained with Caydee?)

 

[Zazy]

This is the main thing that I don't understand that people don't understand. Just because all of your interactions with someone were positive doesn't mean that someone else's interactions with that person weren't negative!

That's definitely true but if we've categorized a friend as one of the 'good guys', it can be hard to believe that they've done something very wrong. Part of it is the way our society tends to classify people as good or bad, when the truth is every person is incredibly complex and will do good and bad things over their lifetime.

If you know someone as generous, kind, etc., it follows that they couldn't have done this terrible thing. People who do things like this are basically irremediable monsters and you 'know' your friend isn't a monster. It sounds dumb but the good/bad dichotomy is so ingrained in us, it can be hard to let go of it.

I'm not trying to excuse the terrible victim-blaming or to minimise how hard this is for accusers. It is incredibly brave to come forward publicly, especially if you still want to be involved in skating going forward. I wish there was a way to make it easier somehow.

 

[my little pony]

maybe tara won't be most famous for the fake 9/11 charity now

 

[VGThuy]

I'm just so angry that Tara Modlin and Delilah most likely won't be held accountable for their actions.

 

[rfisher]

That's definitely true but if we've categorized a friend as one of the 'good guys', it can be hard to believe that they've done something very wrong. Part of it is the way our society tends to classify people as good or bad, when the truth is every person is incredibly complex and will do good and bad things over their lifetime.

If you know someone as generous, kind, etc., it follows that they couldn't have done this terrible thing. People who do things like this are basically irremediable monsters and you 'know' your friend isn't a monster. It sounds dumb but the good/bad dichotomy is so ingrained in us, it can be hard to let go of it.

I'm not trying to excuse the terrible victim-blaming or to minimise how hard this is for accusers. It is incredibly brave to come forward publicly, especially if you still want to be involved in skating going forward. I wish there was a way to make it easier somehow.

And, it's a double blow for his friends and family. They not only had to deal with his death, but to accept the realty of what happened to contribute to that death means they were betrayed by someone they believed in and trusted. It's easier to defend and blame the accuser than face the realty that a friend or relative might actually have done what they were accused of doing. That's going to be much harder to do now that one of the victims have come forward and made a public statement which has been picked up by the news media.

I don't doubt the USFS is in damage control. They have to be. US gymnastics have filed for bankruptcy following Nassar scandal. I can't imagine legal council for USFS isn't trying to find a way to keep this from reaching the same level.

It's petty, but I hope Sapenfeld faces consequences for her actions. They now have an aura of desperation and panic.

 

[AngieNikodinovLove (ANL)]

This is the main thing that I don't understand that people don't understand. Just because all of your interactions with someone were positive doesn't mean that someone else's interactions with that person weren't negative!

Yes, One thing that sticks out in my mind... is... my Mom is a Pastor.. so many of her parishoners thought Bill Cosby was innocent.... they could not seperate Cliff Huxtable from Bill Cosby.

The stories she would tell me about what people were saying were unbelievable to me.