ADVERTISEMENT

"I will not be bullied into silence" - filmmaker tells blogger

The feud began when photos of Christabel Ekeh surfaced and Leila Djansi commented on Chris Vincent’s website on Facebook describing it as a “BP increasing website”.

Leila Djansi

I retaliation, Chris posted screenshots of their conversation and said that Leila used to beg him for publicity.

Leila, in response to Chris’ claim, wrote a long essay on her blog encouraging all victims of cyber-bullying to defend themselves from the various trolls who follow them and leave nasty comments on their page.

ADVERTISEMENT

In a long blog post, Leila wrote (unedited):

"I chose to write this because I’d like to encourage other victims of cyber bullying that its Internet, you can defend yourself! DEFEND YOURSELF! When you keep the hurt and anger bottled up inside, that’s when depression sets in and then insanity begins.

Yvonne Nelson, Afia Schwarzenegger, Nadia Buari, John Dumelo, footballers, singers, high powered politicians. Do you see the pattern? Chris Vincent Agyapong Febiri always woefully attempts to pull down those above him who are not particularly interested in being "his friends". When he fails, He snaps.

I'm pretty sure in his private sanctuary he pats himself on the back, thinking he has succeeded in holding the entire Ghana film industry hostage.  I don't even want to think of how he congratulates himself!  They say when the mad man finds a puddle of water and spreads it all around, he steps back, admires his handiwork and says to himself, "me too, I have made rain".

It's ok to write exposes and you know, blow covers, but it's how. Blow cover, but remember that's a human being you're handling and leave room for air.

ADVERTISEMENT

Someday, someone has to say, ENOUGH!

Let’s start from the very beginning!! (Singing)

You need journalists, bloggers, social media commentators on your side. Especially when you have products to promote. Never be ashamed of that! It’s the nature of the job.

My then publicist made the first connection to Chris and his Ghana celebrities page when I sing of a well received an unprecedented 11 nominations at the AMAA Awards. I’m a girl. I know to work with guys, you gotta really come down and not be bossy. I call them my hubby, boyfriend, wedding partner, nothing to it. When you are a strong willed person, you need to learn to slow it down sometimes.

We started out nicely. If I needed a fire quenched he and Ameyaw Debrah were my go to persons. If I needed a promo done for the films, same thing. He wanted to build my website and I chatted with him about an idea for a newspaper.We chatted about the internet trolls and hate speech and I shared what I always share, I hate it when I am called ugly on his website! I don't hate it for me, but for my parents. I don't care that I am ugly, but really, who created in God's image and likeness is called ugly by another human being? Someone as insensitive as Chris Vincent cannot see the bigger picture. We are all fearfully and wonderfully made! Run with that!

ADVERTISEMENT

Cyber bullying destroys talent long before it is hatched. Young children are online. teenagers are online. You are responsible. We are all responsible.  We are from a 3rd world country. We all owe it a duty to that country to help it grow. You have a website? use it to nurture. Not neutralize talents and your enemies so google can pay you a few bucks for rent. That's just low. Others do it, we are not others. We are Ghana. With unique challenges and it is our duty as citizens to build.

There was a lot of hate for me on his website. Sometimes he’ll send me the posts and I’ll ask him why send that to me? His response? “to make me laugh.” Really?

Really vile abuse. It doesn’t matter that it’s a faceless person. It’s a human being typing those things! Never forget that.  “Leila’s mother should have aborted her pregnancy, she’s so ugly” “Does she have HIV”. “Leila Djansi’s mother should have aborted her pregnancy”. These are not robots typing. It’s humans. Maybe even people who smile at you when they see you. Let us never assume we don't damage people with the keyboard. You may not be stoning them or setting them ablaze physically but you are emotionally and mentally. Chris Vincent has managed to create his own private Denkyira Obuasi with his website. Everyday, someone is lynched and burnt and google pays. it's time to mourn!

Ties That Bind was my breaking point. Someone on his website was calling studios in LA, asking them whether Ties That Bind was a Hollywood film. That was such an embarrassment. I went to Chris and asked why he published that.  He didn’t care. I get it, he’s a blogger. But still, at least, take a blow for the investment  coming to Ghana. A million dollars. Today he says the Ghana film industry is dead! Well, he should look at the man in the mirror. Who wants to work in hate and rancor?

I am not the most patient person, so when my facebook posts dousing the fires to protect my actors from the negative press suddenly became his headlines, I flipped. I cursed him out.

ADVERTISEMENT

That’s when the enmity began.

I appreciate that I can be used as a tool to shed light on cyber bullying. In as much as I want to vindicate myself from his atrocious lies and malice, I should not fail to use this medium to create the much needed awareness that cyber bullying is not all just fun and games. Real people get hurt. Human beings get damaged, scarred. Some commit suicide.

If Chris can fabricate stories to promote actors and his friends, who is to say he is not fabricating all those vile and horrible things he’s posted about me and others? Consider it.  He lies to brand people to be liked. So can he lie to brand people to be hated.  He’s hoping you''ll not read between the lines. That you'll  swallow anything he says, hook, line and sinker. I really want to believe you won’t be that gullible!

Lets move to some hardcore evidence shall we? Law and Order theme song cue....

Apparently he sent me some links to expose my IP address? First link he sent was March 16th 2010. I was in Texas for the Clottey Pacqiao fight and stayed afterwards closing financing for Sinking Sands and planning a party for Azumah Nelson.

ADVERTISEMENT

05/14/2010 he sent me a linked file to trouble shoot my computer. I don’t click on such baits. And, I was in Ghana shooting Sinking sands.

Another link 12/20/2010. I was in Ghana, Ghana Movie Awards

Link 1/30/2011 I was still in Ghana.

Feb 19th 2011, HE ASKED FOR MY IP ADDRESS. If Chris is able to send me a link to expose my IP address, why ask me for my IP address?

Two days later, things fell apart.

ADVERTISEMENT

I have asked him to let us have the IP address. We'll just call the service provider. if it's that frequent, it must surely be coming from a singular location, registered to someone. My best friend Aaron is a geek. He installs all the gizmo stuff for me because my computers carry sensitive information, actors information, reels, movies...  As a rule, I don’t click on links except on my desktop and that IP is not LA. I know a thing or two about internet.  If I want to play mischief, I will route my IP, bounce it through North Korea. Try sending a bot to that, your computer will crash!

People say Leila and Shirley are enemies. I have met her on less than 5 occasions. She is not my friend, per se. I buy her work online. I support her, I support every filmmaker because I also want to be supported. Some say they perceive tension between us. You do so because of people like Chris Vincent! You hear stories. You ignore, but that doesn’t mean you’ve not heard. People create issues where there may be none.  So in self preservation, everyone cocoons. Why should it be so? Two female filmmakers from a small country.

I find it mildly interesting that he is involving Shirley in this at all. What has Christabel Ekeh's nude photos and state of mind and my little admonition to actors got to do with Shirley? Chris himself admitted he is the one who was branding the girl via deceiving the public.  How does this concern Shirley?  I have my theory but I will keep it to myself. Because one day, the wind will blow and we will see what the chicken has hidden under his feathers! You say the industry is failing? When it is coming, then it is doing. (I have no idea what that means!)

July 17th 1981, my mother started bleeding profusely and I was born by a stroke of grace. Two weeks later I almost died in a fire in an incubator. A year later a door fell on my head peeling my skin off my forehead. The disasters I have encountered, I was stoned in class 4 for winning the cultural studies award on speech and prize day in Kabore school. Car accidents. All in July. Freaky, huh? Anytime I am on the edge of something big, something bigger comes to attempt to derail me. Today is my birthday, so I am going to say, it is normal.

We do not wrestle against flesh and blood but against powers and principalities. My mid year resolution is to put on the whole Armour of God. Even if I waiver in my belief sometimes.

ADVERTISEMENT

This post, is for Chris and others like him who have used the internet to bully. He calls others insecure? That's him foisting who he is onto others. Sociopaths are like that. They see themselves, but they are never at fault. It has to be someone else.

FIGHT BACK!

Bullies are like dogs. When they bark and you retreat, they chase you. Push back!

So he exposes your secrets so what? Are you the only one with secrets? Let him who is without sin, cast the first stone!! FIGHT BACK! TAKE YOUR JOY! Own it! IT IS YOURS!

And those who are around him, urging him on. Your time will come. When you see your neighbors beard on fire, find a gallon of water in anticipation.

ADVERTISEMENT

The story is told of a woman and her snake. It stopped eating and started getting closer to her, wrapping around her. Her doctor said, it is getting ready to swallow you!

You need Chris Vincent to promote your photos, your movies, your brand. He will, but like the snake he is, he will one day swallow you.  It’s what snakes do!  They are not pets, they are beasts!

You see my life? My friends are directing Black Panther and I am here dealing with Chris Vincent.

You see why the industry is repressed? We spend time on things we shouldn't. If we'll just love!"

She also published all the conversation she had with Chris on Facebook.

JOIN OUR PULSE COMMUNITY!

Unblock notifications in browser settings.
ADVERTISEMENT

Eyewitness? Submit your stories now via social or:

Email: eyewitness@pulse.com.gh

ADVERTISEMENT