Vic Mignogna Sexual Harassment Allegations — Voice actor Vic Mignogna smiling, with anime characters Broly and Edward Elric on either side of him

Vic Mignogna Sexual Harassment Allegations

2019eventdead

Published October 4, 2026

Vic Mignogna Sexual Harassment Allegations refers to a wave of public accusations in January 2019 against the voice actor known for dubbing Edward Elric in Fullmetal Alchemist, triggered by a viral Twitter thread listing alleged inappropriate behavior toward fans at anime conventions. The accusations led to his removal from Rooster Teeth's RWBY, a split with Funimation, and a legal campaign funded through GoFundMe that became one of the defining anime fandom controversies of the year.

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Overview

The controversy centers on claims from fans, cosplayers and industry workers that Mignogna, the English dub voice of Edward Elric in Fullmetal Alchemist, had been inappropriate at conventions for years, with specific allegations ranging from unwanted kissing and groping to homophobic and anti-Semitic remarks1. The story moved out of whisper networks and into mainstream anime discourse once accusers started posting under their own names on Twitter in January 20191.

What turned the story into a sustained online event, rather than a single news cycle, was the fast corporate fallout followed by an equally public legal counter-campaign. Rooster Teeth cut ties within three weeks2, Funimation announced it would stop working with him, and attorney Ty Beard began appearing on YouTube livestreams hosted by Nick Rekieta to argue Mignogna's side3. The split between anime Twitter and the pro-Mignogna YouTube audience became a long-running feud of its own3.

Origin & Background

Platform
Convention circuit / Twitter (viral spread)
Date
2019

Complaints that Mignogna was "creepy" at conventions had circulated in fandom spaces since the mid-2000s, and on February 8th, 2017 a thread compiling accusations against him was created on the gossip forum PrettyUglyLittleLiar4. The public tipping point came on January 16th, 2019, when Twitter user @hanleia posted a thread describing alleged homophobia, anti-Semitism and unwanted sexual advances by Mignogna5. AnimeFeminist founder Amelia Cook amplified the thread with the caption "How is Vic Mignogna still working in anime?", pulling in thousands of likes and retweets over the following weeks3.

On January 21st, 2019, Mignogna posted his own statement on Twitter denying the accusations while saying he would stop physically interacting with fans at events6. The post picked up over 8,600 likes within two weeks but did not slow the companies already reviewing his contracts6.

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How It Spread

The accusations jumped from Twitter into trade press and corporate statements within three weeks. On February 5th, 2019, Rooster Teeth announced Mignogna was "no longer a part of the cast" of RWBY and that the company was "ending all associations" with him2. Funimation followed on February 11th, saying one of his roles would be recast and that it would not engage him on future productions3.

The pro-Mignogna response organized around a GoFundMe called "Vic Kicks Back," launched on February 19th by attorney Nick Rekieta with a $100,000 goal to cover legal fees7. The campaign hit its target on March 5th, with Mignogna saying any surplus would go to charity8. His attorney Ty Beard then publicly signaled a lawsuit was coming, replying "We will be in touch" to a Twitter thread of accusations on March 1st9.

The case lived on YouTube as much as it did on Twitter. The Rekieta Law channel hosted a March 4th livestream with Beard discussing the case10, and commentary creators like ThatUmbrellaGuy ran reaction videos that pulled the drama into the "anti-SJW" YouTube orbit3. A March 20th follow-up stream covered ethics complaints, the newly announced KamehaCon lineup and ongoing legal strategy, keeping the story in weekly rotation for months3.

Timeline

2017-02-08

A thread compiling accusations against Mignogna is created on PrettyUglyLittleLiar[4].

2019-01-16

Twitter user @hanleia posts a viral thread of accusations, amplified by AnimeFeminist founder Amelia Cook[5].

2019-01-21

Mignogna posts a statement denying the accusations and says he will stop physically interacting with fans[6].

2019-02-05

Rooster Teeth announces Mignogna is removed from RWBY and that it is ending all associations with him[2].

2019-02-11

Funimation says one of his roles will be recast and it will no longer work with him on future productions[3].

2019-02-19

Attorney Nick Rekieta launches the "Vic Kicks Back" GoFundMe with a $100,000 legal-fees goal[7].

2019-03-01

Mignogna's attorney Ty Beard replies "We will be in touch" to a Twitter accusation thread, signaling litigation[9].

2019-03-04

Rekieta Law hosts a YouTube livestream with Ty Beard about the case[10].

2019-03-05

The Vic Kicks Back GoFundMe hits its $100,000 goal[8].

2019-03-20

Rekieta Law hosts a second livestream covering ethics complaints and KamehaCon[3].

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Frequently Asked Questions