Thursday, January 16, 2014

Chris Lepore Accused Of Raping Jessi Smiles

First of all I want to let everyone know that Jessi Smiles has given permission for people to use her name when discussing all of this because she wants people to know all about it. There is no way on earth I would ever reveal the name of a rape victim in any other circumstance.

This is an interesting time in society. Back in the day you made movies or starred in a television show and you became famous. The only other way to become famous was to do something heroic or something criminal. There was no such thing as reality television. You were an actor and if you were good enough or gorgeous enough you had a shot of becoming famous.

Times changed. A show called Real World came along and people who were filmed in a controlled situation were showing up on television. If they are on television they must be a celebrity right? That first show spawned every other reality show today and allowed for thousands of other people to become famous just by appearing on television. If you were aggressive enough in your time on television and made yourself stand out and wanted it badly enough you could make a living from your reality show appearance(s).

At some point Paris Hilton came along. With her the reality show came later. She made herself famous by using the second half of the reality star equation of exposure and appearances but missed the part about first being on television. The advent of blogs and online tabloids and non-stop celebrity coverage on the internet allowed Paris to find a gap. There was so much space to fill that she jumped in and filled it. Once she got a foothold in that space she didn't let go. She begat people like Tila Tequila and Kim Kardashian.

In this evolution there is now Vine and Instagram and Twitter. In this situation I see a return back one step to actually doing something. People are becoming popular based on what they do with their social media. Are you good looking? Are you creative with magic? Can you make people laugh? Can you do something that will attract people and make you famous? To me, it is actually a good thing. The problem is that everyone has the same shot at fame and you have to make yourself stand out. There is a lot of competition for not much space.

A few months ago I stumbled on Jessi Smiles when I saw an 8 second Vine video she filmed. 8 seconds is not a lot of time to make a statement or do something funny and creative but she managed to. Over the past year she found herself moving away from her job as a damn good makeup artist to internet celebrity because of her humor and good looks. Millions of people watch her Vines and when that happens you start to become famous. To give you an idea, most CW shows are not watched by a million people yet most of the actors on those shows are stars. If you get three or four times the number of people to watch something you do every single week, you will become famous.

After I saw Jessi's video I was hooked and started following her on Twitter and watched her videos. She is always funny and creative and she also lets you know what is going on in her life in a very unfiltered I don't have a publicist kind of way. Last October Jessi came to LA and met with a fellow Vine celebrity named Curtis Lepore. What clicked online didn't click in person. It happens and that should have been the end of it. But it wasn't. Jessi hurt herself while shooting a Vine video and didn't know anyone out here.

Curtis volunteered to help her recover. During that recovery while Jessi was asleep, Curtis is accused of raping Jessi. Yesterday he plead not guilty to the charges.


47 comments:

LottaColada said...

Vine celebrities? *side eye*

TalksTooMuch said...

It is Curtis or Chris Lepore?

Henriette said...

I don't know these people, but that's really sad.

Seven of Eleven said...

I... um... what?

Kelly said...

I feel like I've heard those names, but still can't place them. I don't "do" vine, so not there. Poor Jessi anyway. So sorry for her if true, and I tend to believe it.

Count Jerkula said...

Was it rape or was it rape-rape? I need to know whether or not I should do a movie w/ Lepore.

ethorne said...

5 paragraphs about reality TV & how it came about, yet 1 tiny paragraph about the actual crime. And knowing Enty, those 3 sentences are probably factually inaccurate anyway.

Elisha said...

Enty wouldn't reveal a rape victim? What about all those blinds about kids or women who are molested/abused and he/she/them never reveal the abuser?

He said something like he wouldn't normally talk about a reality show person either the other day, most of the blinds now are real housewives or 16 and pregnant.

Enty is losing touch with reality.

Unknown said...

what is a comma?

Unknown said...

and curtis or chris?

LottaColada said...

Enties would lose on Jeopardy.

Now! said...

This is really a dumb post. I'd never heard about either of these people, and this is really not the best way to introduce either one of them.

Lucas said...

“I would never reveal the name of a rape victim otherwise"

You should try your hand at comedy, Enty.

Marieeee said...

This is the biggest bullshit and anyone who followed them knows that.

audrey said...

A history of Reality TV? Or a life lesson on misplaced trust?

Eros said...

Never heard of her but my heart goes out to her. Hope she gets through this oksy.

Susan said...

Why did I read this? Vine celebrities. Really? Hope the girl's ok.

Jessi said...

@Marieeee Im curious as to why you say this is bullshit? Is it because the rape wasn't recorded in 6 seconds and posted?

Tyler said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Unknown said...

I don't even know who she is...I must be getting old.

Unknown said...

Of course she doesn't mind you using her name. This smells of a publicity stunt at worse to a misguided attempt by a rape victim to get some type of publicity/celebrity off a tragedy. I would have rather she just went the sleeping with a celeb porn video and secretly recording and releasing it route.

auntliddy said...

Sideways morsel: An American Family, The Louds was first reality show. Remember that?? It was during the height of Vietnsm war; father was business man, one of their 5 children worked in construction. With long hair. During that show, father cheated, parents got divorced, and one son came out as gay. This was huge heady shit for late 60's. And this was on PBS no less!!!! Just saying.

Unknown said...

auntliddy - Cinema Verite was the movie made from that story.

Unknown said...

Remember when we had folks with talent no matter how minimal. Vine celebuturds? Really?
The word "irrelevant" is sitting on my tongue.... vine. Really?

Tru said...

I'm still scratching my head over the need to assume that someone who says they have been raped is lying.

Because the accused denied it? Oh, I see, because he would be sure to tell the truth.

Sherry said...

Aunt Licky...PBS just recently replayed it but sadly I missed it. The NYTimes had a story about it and how they basically fell apart before our eyes. It was very interesting. Sorry Io haven't seen it yet.

Okay so this unknown woman on some "Vine" accuses some other unknown of raping her. Not enough information here. Was he charged immediately thereafter and did they get his DNA? Was she staying with him and couldn't get a hotel to get away? Didn't she have any money to go back home? How did she hurt herself and what does that have to do with not knowing anyone here? Something is clearly missing here.

And truly what the hell was the previous paragraphs diatribe about? Yeah yeah, I hate reality TV more than anyone but when you're including mostly reality people in a "celebrity" blog you're only perpetuating the problem. Seriously you want to stop it? Stop giving it blog time.

Damn this is the sloppiest mess of a post ever!

Anonymous said...

Brave girl for speaking out; hope it's not a publicity stunt - between the two of them, which will likely result in a settlement out of Court - as some sites are claiming

lazyday603 said...

I remember An American Family. It was seen as so groundbreaking at the time. Who knew that the idea would eventually make 150 cable TV channels unwatchable one day?

Enty thinks Paris skipped the reality TV path to fame? I thought she became famous with Nicole Ritchie doing that show where they had to live with Arkansas Hillbillies. Did the porn tape come first?

Topper Madison said...

What is "Vine?" Is it like "YouTube?"

Lioness70 said...

I have no idea what Vine, Kik or any of these new social sites that pop up like weeds are. I have to ask my 14 and 12 yos when they get home from school. Damn, I'm old.

feraltart said...

Same thing happened to a friend of mine. Had consensual sex with a guy, they fell asleep, she woke up to him raping her. Can't give consent when you are unconscious. Best of luck to Jessi, it takes courage to come forward.

Snootches said...

I was raped and decided I'd rather hold it in than put myself out there to be ridiculed and victimized again by being called a liar. An acquaintence of my cousin's put something in my drink. He waited until everyone was asleep and entered my aunts room where I was sleeping. Next thing I know he started taking my pants off. I uttered No as many times as I could but I couldn't move. I was in and out the whole time. Eventually I took off and hid outside once I got my shit together. There's more, but I'll save it. Now, when I hear that someone has been raped, it brings it all back. Did I mention this guy was a teacher?

hollywood dime said...

Did we just read someone's film school thesis on the degradation of television? What the fuck was that?

feraltart said...

Snootches, so sad to hear what happened to you. I hope that you have been able to move on. Big hug.

KK said...

Very confused by this. These two were publicly dating. They had a big meet up in Union Square this summer where he asked her out on a stage in front of a crowd and "she said yes"(they made this moment into a vine, of course). I was sitting in the park that day. They also posted several vine videos together, one of them being along the lines of "what happens after you have sex with you boyfriend". Then After two weeks of publicly dating there was a big vine breakup and the end. So of they were dating and making videos about having sex, when did the rape occur? Seems fishy coming 6 months later. Hmm

Zeeky_Boogy_Doog said...

KK, no idea whether she's telling the truth or not, but I do know traumatic events can sometimes take time to realize. It could be she needed time to wrap her head around it and realize something terrible happened to her. Abused kids will sometimes go through this, not realize how bad stuff was until much later.

That said, I hope it's some publicity stunt. That would suck completely, but it would mean there's one less person in the world that went through horror beyond words.

Sherry said...

I would like to hugs Snootches but also address these two previously dating but him raping her.

It happens after people break up a lot. Used to be a woman who was separated from her husband couldn't even get her estranged prosecuted for such a thing because they were married and it's considered part of the contract.

It still happens. We all know rape is about power. When someone says no they mean no (and it works both ways!).

Still this needs a little more context.

ninotchka said...

It's difficult to determine the truthfulness of famewhores and these two are definitely dedicated famewhores.

Still, it's better to err on the side of the victim. I'd take her seriously until proven fraudulent.

FlirtyChick74 said...

I counted 7 out of 39 comments where people on here expressed sympathy (and for some it was barely any) for Jessi Smalls. 7 out of 39. And you wonder why some victims of rape rarely report it. You wonder how some perpetrators ever commited these crimes as many times as they did.

auntliddy said...

Second feltarts hugs. Huge hugs.

auntliddy said...

Flirty good point. I would have thought sympathy and empathy a given.

RowdyRodimus said...

@Snootches, what happened to you is unpardonable. That "man" (quotes because anyone with a penis that attacks a woman in any way is not really a man) should be tied down to a gurney and have acid dripped into his veins through an IV. I hope that since this has happened you have had the strength to go on with your life and not allow that animal to destroy you.

On a less important note, @lazyday, I hope you weren't saying that everyone in Arkansas are hillbillies. I happen to be from ad still live in Arkansas and I and my family are as far away from hillbillies as people can get.

Unknown said...

couple of things... Enty Team, you have outed at least one rape victim - Sophia Loren. So please get off your soap box and fuck off with your "I don't out" nonsense.

Count - you have had a couple of really odd missteps lately. You don't need the stalker to tarnish your name - you're doing a fine job of it yourself. Bring back the fun Count.

Harry didn't post on this thread, but jeepers, Harry - get lost. Your pathetic attempts to imitate posters you perceive as popular is eye-rollingly pathetic.

xoApril said...

All I took from this was the inaccuracy about Vine. It's 6 seconds, not 8. I checked out after that.

xoApril said...

All I took from this was the inaccuracy about Vine. It's 6 seconds, not 8. I checked out after that.

Snootches said...

@feraltart @auntliddy thanks for the hugs. I haved moved on but this situation has made me feel guilty of not reporting him. I just couldn't deal with having that "label" put on me. It surely would've been in the news and I needed privacy. I told my story to my cousin, who then opened up and told me our great uncle had raped her when she was nine. I basically won't trust anyone around my son. You never know...Too many stories like this...

Snootches said...

@Rowdy the sick bastard was an All American athlete at his college. I found that out after googling his name. A couple years later, I found out that his roomate claimed he found child porn on his computer. And I apparently wasn't the first girl to accuse him. I believe he now lives on the West Coast...probably still teaching.

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