Inside the #FreeKate Meltdown and Her Mother’s Self-Justifying Crazy-Talk Rant

Posted on | July 1, 2013 | 81 Comments

About two weeks ago, I started hearing rumors of a meltdown inside the “Free Kate” universe. What seems to have happened is that the Hunts and/or their lawyer became paranoid about their Facebook group, because things that were supposed to be private kept leaking out to the public (including me, of course). Kaitlyn Hunt’s family and their online supporters had become obsessed with “haters” (including me, of course) whose online activity they blamed for the waning support of their cause.

Failure and paranoia are necessary ingredients for an organizational meltdown, and it became one of those Hitler-in-the-bunker situations where the most loyal supporters of the cause were scapegoated.

When you invoke the principle of “Asking questions = Disloyalty,” you can expect bad things to happen. This toxic mixture of Fear and Loathing reached the combustible stage when administrators of the Facebook group were given a deadline to sign a confidentiality agreement and, reportedly, four of them quit in disgust, including Debi:

Debi joined up early, when it seemed that the “Free Kate” movement was going to be a popular successful cause. And then, after the unfortunate facts started coming out, Debi managed to hang in there for several weeks until one day she was presented with an ultimatum: “Sign this legally binding confidentiality agreement, or else.” No matter how loyal you were, would you sign this agreement?

Whoa! “Any breach of this confidentiality policy” by a volunteer Facebook group administrator could result in “damages and expenses including attorney fees”? These were volunteers, you understand — people who weren’t getting paid a dime, while the Hunt family reportedly raised more than $27,000 online in the first week or so after they launched the “Free Kate” campaign May 17. Yet those who were assisting them as volunteers were required to sign a document obligating them to pay “damages and expenses” if they failed to keep secret whatever they learned of the behind-the-scenes effort “working to get the charges dropped against Kaitlyn Hunt.”

At some point, amid the crisis which this provoked within the “Free Kate” group, Kaitlyn’s mother Kelley Hunt Smith went ballistic, unloading an angry rant against somebody who had expressed doubt about the version of the story that the Hunt family were telling. (Click to enlarge.)

While I don’t know who that was directed at, and I don’t feel like transcribing the whole thing, let’s examine a few highlights:

“You are sadly misinformed on pretty much everything you just said … and are basing your opinions on hearsay and media gossip. I have never once said ever that the girls started dating when Kate was 17.”

(In the original “Free Kate” petition that got more than 300,000 signatures, your ex-husband Steve Hunt wrote this: “My daughter Kaitlyn … is not guilty of anything other than a high school romance, but is being prosecuted … because she has a girlfriend who is 15. The two girls began dating while Kaitlyn was 17 but her girlfriend’s parents … waited until after Kaitlyn turned 18 and went to the police to have charges brought against her.” The wording of the petition was apparently revised after the actual facts became public, but these were the lies, repeated in the progressive media, which initially inspired so much misguided sympathy.)

“I made it clear the girls KNEW EACH [other] for quite some time. We live in a very small town and [the] girls went to the same middle school and in fact knew each other when Kate was 17.”

(This is certainly an interesting defense: “It wasn’t like my precious Kate waited for this girl to start ninth grade before she began scoping her out. Kate had had her eye on her future lesbian lover ever since she was still in middle school.” And is it such a “very small town”? The population of Indian River County is more than 140,000. Kaitlyn just graduated from Sebastian River High School, which has about 1,900 students. Why, it’s practically Mayberry!)

“The *facts* that were stated clearly in the arrest affidavit states that BOTH girls mutually and consensually kissed and touch each other in the bathroom, they did NOT have sex.”

(Anyone who can read the arrest affidavit knows that Kelley Hunt Smith is playing a game with the definition of “sex” here.)

“I have stated that it is in my opinion that the other girl’s family is against this and pushed this forward legally because do not agree with homosexuality. I have plenty of proof and facts to back up my opinion. …”

(Why does Kelley Hunt Smith keep bringing this up as if it were relevant? If an adult is illegally having sex with your 14-year-old, does it really matter why you report this to the police?)

“As far as admins, you clearly have been told lies. We had to let 4 admins go due to them having drama and being unable to move forward and work well with the other admins.”

(Notice the consistency with which Kelley Hunt Smith externalizes blame for any conflict she is involved in: Just as Kaitlyn Hunt’s arrest is blamed on those hateful parents who didn’t want their daughter involved with Kaitlyn, the administrators who didn’t want to sign the confidentiality agreement were “unable to move forward and work well with the other admins.” The minute anyone has a problem with Kelley, she decides that the conflict can’t be her fault, but is instead because there is something wrong with the other person.)

“The bottom line is this is a horrible misuse of power and the law. This is a family issue. It should have been handled 100% differently. They have not only destroyed my daughter and our family, but their own daughter as well.”

(This argument — that Kaitlyn’s crime was “a family issue” that should not have been reported to law enforcement — supposes that the Hunt family would have handled the situation responsibly. Such a supposition is at odds with everything we know about the Hunt family.)

“[W]e are talking about 2 young truly good girls here, that had no idea they were doing anything criminal or wrong. How anyone can spew such vile lies and hate toward an innocent 18 year old teenager is beyond me. Calling her a predator, I mean really?”

Notice her mother’s use of the phrase “innocent 18 year old teenager.” According to Kelley Hunt Smith, her daughter Kaitlyn is such a naive and unworldly youth that it is “a horrible misuse of power and the law” to hold her legally accountable for her actions. On the other hand — also according to Kelley Hunt Smith — a 14-year-old is mature and responsible enough that she can consent to sex without any concern that she is being wrongfully exploited.

This illogical nonsense is accompanied by still more blame-shifting: According to Kelley, the problem is not Kaitlyn Hunt’s actions, or the attempt to invalidate Florida’s age-of-consent laws, but rather people who “spew such vile lies and hate” about Kaitlyn Hunt.

Hey, lady: Nobody outside Indian River County ever heard of your daughter until you decided to make her a cause célèbre of the gay-rights movement — America’s Most Famous Sex Offender™ — instead of letting her plead guilty to a lesser offense and avoid jail.

Featured on the Today show, May 23

But no, you made you choice, and for a while it looked like you were on your way to glory. You got interviewed on the Today show, you were featured on CNN, and your supporters sent you to New York City for the Gay Pride Parade. But your 15 minutes of fame probably won’t be much help to Kaitlyn in Judge Pegg’s courtroom.

Is it vile hate to say Kaitlyn Hunt should have taken the plea bargain?

Category: Kaitlyn Hunt

Comments

81 Responses to “Inside the #FreeKate Meltdown and Her Mother’s Self-Justifying Crazy-Talk Rant”

BobBelvedere
July 1st, 2013 @ 8:52 pm

RT @mnrobot: Inside the #FreeKate Meltdown and Her Mother’s Self-Justifying Crazy-Talk Rant http://t.co/pFmYSx9Tvq #tcot #tlot #vrwc
BobBelvedere
July 1st, 2013 @ 8:53 pm

RT @rsmccain More on the #FreeKate meltdown http://t.co/RjMPJF5Ouj
BobBelvedere
July 1st, 2013 @ 8:57 pm

RT @yidwithlid: RT @rsmccain: “Is it ‘vile hate’ to say Kaitlyn Hunt should have taken the plea bargain?” http://t.co/jB9ETbHJiZ DON’T #Fre…
japan_johnny
July 1st, 2013 @ 9:03 pm

RT @rsmccain: More on the #FreeKate meltdown http://t.co/n00NsteUPe @XcommuniKATEd @Jeanette_Runyon @Sweet3Essential
AmPowerBlog
July 1st, 2013 @ 9:16 pm

Inside the #FreeKate Meltdown and Her Mother’s Self-Justifying Crazy-Talk Rant http://t.co/lTn8xR1LZP via @RSMcCain
rsmccain
July 1st, 2013 @ 9:17 pm

RT @AmPowerBlog: Inside the #FreeKate Meltdown and Her Mother’s Self-Justifying Crazy-Talk Rant http://t.co/lTn8xR1LZP via @RSMcCain
Matthew W
July 1st, 2013 @ 9:25 pm

Yes, I can’t wait for the trial coverage:The prosecution would like to enter this vibrator as exhibit A:

Will the defendant please identify the vibrator as hers.
JeffS
July 1st, 2013 @ 9:34 pm

If you do cover the trial, will you request an interview with the Hunt parents?

After paying up your life insurance, I mean.
LadyLNorth
July 1st, 2013 @ 9:48 pm

RT @AmPowerBlog: Inside the #FreeKate Meltdown and Her Mother’s Self-Justifying Crazy-Talk Rant http://t.co/lTn8xR1LZP via @RSMcCain
NASCARNAC
July 1st, 2013 @ 9:52 pm

RT @AmPowerBlog: Inside the #FreeKate Meltdown and Her Mother’s Self-Justifying Crazy-Talk Rant http://t.co/lTn8xR1LZP via @RSMcCain
Ivory
July 1st, 2013 @ 9:53 pm

I would pay to be a fly on the wall for that interview.
Vern Demerest
July 1st, 2013 @ 10:27 pm

I was thinking EXACTLY the same thing while I was reading it.
Hanz Lehrke
July 1st, 2013 @ 10:42 pm

how much will the Hunts be suing the school, police, the parents of the 14 yo, the maker of the handcuffs, the judge, the county, state, and country ………..
Jay McHue
July 1st, 2013 @ 11:09 pm

So that’s what my supper looks like in reverse.
jinx_mchue
July 1st, 2013 @ 11:11 pm

Inside the #FreeKate Meltdown and Her Mother’s Self-Justifying Crazy-Talk Rant http://t.co/O5fIApNRfl
John Pack Lambert
July 2nd, 2013 @ 3:21 am

This is a very clear example of exploitation and deprivation of parental rights. It is clearly an issue of family rights. I am glad some people are speaking out. Laws are there to be enforced and I applaud those who have done that in this case.
sjreidhead
July 2nd, 2013 @ 4:42 am

RT @rsmccain: The #FreeKate meltdown “became one of those Hitler-in-the-bunker situations” http://t.co/n00NsteUPe @kjcopp @TxAv8r
Becca Lower
July 2nd, 2013 @ 6:35 am

“So you’re– ah– Saint Kate of the Blessed Finger, ‘eh?”
Tex Lovera
July 2nd, 2013 @ 9:43 am

Nice work again, Stacy. Keep shining that light on their hypocrisy; it’s fun to watch them spin around like an auger drilling itself deeper into the ground..

Seriously, you are doing us all a true service by covering this. What cowards the media are, but that’s stating the obvious, ain’t it??
The Malfeasance And/Or Ignorance Of Mainstream Media About Pedophilia | That Mr. G Guy's Blog
July 2nd, 2013 @ 1:51 pm

[…] year old girl, who’s name is being withheld because of her age. The most recent stories are here, and […]
isabellab
July 2nd, 2013 @ 2:53 pm

What is so wrong with a confidentiality agreement? If you kept your mouth shut, you wouldn’t worry about being held accountable for damages. If you aren’t capable of that, then you are a liability to the case and you should remove yourself, simple as that. As for these parents they are very much taking this out on Kate because of their homosexuality. If Kate were Kurt, none of this would be happening. She may have made a mistake, but she was not a bad girl. She was not out there maliciously taking advantage of a young girl. Calling her a predator IS wrong.
Guest
July 2nd, 2013 @ 4:27 pm

Raping children with a vibrator is wrong. Endorsing that behavior is beyond wrong.
Stacy McCain Gets a Better Class of Wacko | hogewash
July 2nd, 2013 @ 7:33 pm

[…] Schmalfeldt, but he generally gets a better class of wacko. Brown Barrett comes to mind. And the Hunt family. I’ve been one of the poor guys stuck with Schmalfeldt on an almost daily […]
robertstacymccain
July 2nd, 2013 @ 8:34 pm

One also imagines the CSI forensics expert testifying to the DNA analysis on … uh, Exhibit A, which for the sake of journalism we must hope is a thick 9-inch hot pink gel vibe. It would not do, from the perspective of headline value, to have The Instrument of Sin be a tiny little tickler of some kind.

The title of a certain Hunter S. Thompson article comes to mind.
Hanz Lehrke
July 2nd, 2013 @ 8:39 pm

I’m wondering why you jump to the conclusion it is about homosexuality? Because her parents who have major credibility issues said it is? The LGBT (order?) has said they don’t believe this is about anything but and 18 year old having sex with a 14 year old. Simple as that. She is not a bad girl, did you see the picture of her and her sister beating up a girl? How do you kno0w she wasn’t actively out stalking and taking advantage of this 14 year old? I believe that them meeting in middle school is a lie in that due to their ages and grades that wasn’t possible. Maybe calling her a predator is wrong at this moment, but calling her a saint and this is about homosexuality without any proof and only lies which support your assumptions is equally wrong. Besides, what difference does it make why the 14 yo’s parents called the cops? They have a right to decide and obligation to do what THEY think is right for their daughter. A 14 yo can’t consent to sex. It is the law and Kate admitted to it.
Jeanette_Runyon
July 3rd, 2013 @ 8:21 am

@jinx_mchue @AJourneyToLove http://t.co/PcygrzRKrv
lenomdeplume
July 3rd, 2013 @ 2:30 pm

First time visitor to your site. Retired military and democrat. After reading this, and one other article on the Hunt debacle in your blog, it seems many readers believe Hunt supporters are either rabid gays or liberals or both. I began following this story in its first week and read every piece of news, arrest reports, videos of beach beatdowns, supporthonesty.net and watching interviews of the Hunts as well as of the victims parents. It became clear to me very quickly that the truth was being twisted ,and in some cases hidden by outright lies of the Hunt family. Their actions duped many people. How do I know? As I acquired more knowledge I began to dispute the more obvious assertions by Hunt supporters. I didn’t use unsupported claims of my personal superiority but instead cited online refs to arrest records, supporthonesty timelines, and the Hunts own corrupted statements (in one particularily effective quote from Mr Hunt, he said he would “say anything” to help his daughter”) After a while (a week?), gradually many of those with whom I jousted on comments sections of major newspapers and in blogs began to see the light. They told me, a small number each succeeding week..but hey thats progress..that these facts were not given to them initially but now they held a different opinion on the matter. I must have written 100 posts on the topic. Not once did I resort to defaming anyones political perspective. Why? Because this is a child safety issue and not a political hobby horse. Your thoughts?
lenomdeplume
July 3rd, 2013 @ 2:41 pm

You are making an assumption (homophobia) and then using that same assumption (faulty) as proof for your argument (a “mistake” by a good girl can not be a crime committed by a “bad girl”).

Kate (the 18y/o) was warned TWICE by the parents to stay away from the 14 y/o, she didn’t. The parents involved the police ONLY after their daughter went missing for 12 hours and was presumed kidnapped. All the while she was in the Hunt residence with permission of Mr and Mrs Hunt.

Is that something a “good girl”, much less good parents, would do?
adamcassandra
July 5th, 2013 @ 11:29 am

This “movement” should be abolished immediately. MT @rsmccain: More on the #FreeKate meltdown http://t.co/IQv1A9vHzP
NASCARNAC
July 5th, 2013 @ 12:24 pm

RT @adamcassandra: This “movement” should be abolished immediately. MT @rsmccain: More on the #FreeKate meltdown http://t.co/IQv1A9vHzP
Gary Herndon
July 7th, 2013 @ 4:20 am

Robert,

Please Check your inbox on your FB profile.I’ll be sending you a message soon.