Photograph: Amanda Edwards (Getty Photos)
In 2019, embattled anime voice actor Vic Mignogna, accused of sexual harassment by a number of events, filed a defamation lawsuit in opposition to former employer Funimation and several other different voice actors. The courtroom dominated in opposition to him in October of that 12 months, prompting him to file an attraction. Yesterday, he not solely misplaced his attraction on all counts, however could also be required to pay extra authorized charges to the defendants of his swimsuit.
The Courtroom of Appeals within the Second Appellate District of Texas discovered that Mignogna didn’t present sufficient proof to show that among the statements made in opposition to him have been false or that any have been made with malice. In keeping with the courtroom’s determination, Mignogna is not going to solely be chargeable for paying off charges associated to his attraction, however will possible need to pay extra legal professional’s charges to fellow voice actor Monica Rial and her fiancé Ronald Toye. The courtroom despatched Mignogna’s lawsuit again to the decrease courtroom to provide you with a better, extra applicable legal professional’s payment for him to pay, partially as a result of the price of Rial and Toye’s authorized illustration exceeded the ~$125,000 the prior courtroom determination had beforehand awarded the pair.
Learn Extra: Considered one of Anime’s Largest Voices Accused of Sexual Harassment
Along with voicing Edward Elric in Fullmetal Alchemist, Mignogna was a well known voice actor behind the English dubbing of Broly in Dragon Ball Z and Junpei in Persona 3. When Dragon Ball Tremendous: Broly was making the rounds in its U.S. theatrical launch again in 2019, tales started to flow into from a number of followers who’d met Mignogna through the years regarding sexual harassment and different innappropriate interactions.
Fellow voice actors chimed in with their very own tales. In a Twitter submit, DBZ voice actor Monica Rial corroborated accusations from different voice actors in opposition to Mignogna which detailed comparable, inappropriate interactions with him.
Mignogna denied the claims made in opposition to him in a protracted Twitter submit in January 2019 earlier than submitting a defamation swimsuit in opposition to Funimation, Rial, Toye, and voice actress Jamie Marchi in April. Later that 12 months, Texas state district Decide John Chupp dismissed Mignogna’s 17 defamation claims, prompting Mignogna to file his attraction just a few weeks later. He’s now misplaced the attraction as nicely, and the courtroom might improve the quantity he should pay to Rial and Toye.
When information broke of the accusations in opposition to Mignogna, comedian conventions, Funimation, and Rooster Tooth all lower ties with the voice actor. Mignogna was additionally changed as Broly’s—a personality he’d voiced for 16 years—voice actor in Dragon Ball FighterZ, with Bleach voice actor Johnny Yong Bosch getting into the position. For a full breakdown of Mignogna’s lawsuit, you may learn the r/AnimeDubs subreddit thread.
