History Creator / JohnKricfalusi

[[caption-width-right:250:John K with [[WesternAnimation/RenAndStimpy his two most famous creations]].]]

[[caption-width-right:250:John K with his two most famous creations.]]

[[caption-width-right:250:John K with his two most (im)famous creations.]]

[[caption-width-right:250:John K with his two most famous creations.]]

By this time, Kricfalusi's reputation for mismanaging projects and being an abrasive, caustic personality was public knowledge, and had already damaged his career to the point that a comeback was very unlikely. In March 2018, however, former Spümcø employees Robyn Byrd and Katie Rice publicly accused Kricfalusi of grooming them, multiple instances of statutory rape, and possession of child pornography -- some of which featured himself as the abuser -- and several of Kricfalusi's coworkers came forth to support their claims. While Kricfalusi was never taken to court due to the statute of limitations, his reputation took such a tremendous hit that he announced his semi-retirement from animation soon thereafter.

%% * GettingCrapPastThe Radar: Due to overwhelming and persistent misuse, GCPTR is on-page examples only until 01 June 2021. If you are reading this in the future, please check the trope page to make sure your example fits the current definition.

* ''Harlem Shuffle'', a music video by Music/TheRollingStones from their album ''Music/DirtyWork''.

Kricfalusi's next major project saw him return to ''Ren and Stimpy'' for the raunchy revival, ''WesternAnimation/RenAndStimpyAdultPartyCartoon''. Now with carte blanche to do whatever he wanted, Kricfalusi cranked everything about the series UpToEleven, taking a somewhat transgressive children's cartoon and heading full speed into AnimatedShockComedy territory. Unfortunately, this new project would also be plagued by ''even longer'' [[ScheduleSlip production delays]] than its predecessor. The show was canceled after three episodes following unanimously negative reception from critics and fans.

* DependingOnTheArtist: Kricfalusi took this trope UpToEleven, having allowed his artists to experiment with their own individual styles on the show, as a callback to how Creator/BobClampett allowed his animators to deviate from the official character model sheets to make a specific pose or expression.

* GrossoutShow: The TropeMaker is ''WesternAnimation/TheRenAndStimpyShow''. He took this UpToEleven in Adult Party Cartoon. He eventually became tired of gross-out gags and wished to focus more on personality and acting in his cartoons.

* ''VideoGame/GoGoHyperGrind'': Designed the characters in the game with Spumco, as well as being the co-producer, although he was pre-occupied with Adult Party Cartoon to work on the game and dismissed his involvement on the game and assumed young cartoons who draw 'tude "worked on it when he wasn't looking".

* CreatorKiller: The failure of ''Adult Party Cartoon'' ensured he would never helm another mainstream cartoon show again, and the subsequent lawsuit with Carbunkle Cartoons over them not getting paid for work on it drove his company, Spumco, into bankruptcy. Kricfalusi was forced to stick to animation odd jobs like music videos and TV bumpers from then on. He attempted to launch a new cartoon studio in Florida, but it didn't end well as he was immediately sacked from the studio once news about his sexually predatory behaviour came to light in March 2018, [[RoleEndingMisdemeanor destroying what little he had left of a career.]]

** After Kricfalusi's [[https://www.buzzfeed.com/arianelange/john-kricfalusi-ren-stimpy-underage-sexual-abuse?utm_term=.dvZvXMkKv#.xd1QbAqkQ sexual predator behaviour towards his underage female employees came to light]] in March 2018, he was immediately fired from the new cartoon studio he tried to launch in Florida, and it is safe to say that his career momentum has been completely sapped for good. Creator/{{Nickelodeon}}, Creator/CartoonNetwork and Creator/AdultSwim have already stated that they will never work with him again in light of this news.

** In the early 2010s, he started putting together a new studio in Florida, from which ''he'' got fired before anything could be produced (and this was ''before'' the pedophilia accusations).

** After the pedophilia accusations first came to light, he shut down all commenting on his blog, deleted his Twitter account, and to this day, he only sporadically active on Facebook, where the only thing he does is try to sell his art via Shopify and his old blog, and he deletes any comments and blocks any users that challenge him about the scandal.

* ''VideoGame/GoGoHyperGrind'': Designed the characters in the game with Spumco, as well as being the co-producer.

* ComplainingAboutShowsYouDontWatch: A rather infamous one regarding ''WesternAnimation/{{Animaniacs}}'': under the pseudonym Tom Paine, he bashed the show before it aired, even admitting he hadn't watched a full episode (supposedly out of spite to Tom Rugger and the staff of ''WesternAnimation/TinyToonAdventures'' due to CreativeDifferences).

* ''WesternAnimation/TheJetsons'': Layout supervisor. One of the few 80s shows he worked on that he ''didn't'' hate. His style is strongly present in 7 episodes: SuperGeorge, S'No Relative, Dance Time, Hi-Tech Wreck (which is his directorial debut), Haunted Halloween, To Tell the Truth and Boy George.

* ''WesternAnimation/TheJetsons'': Layout supervisor. He made his directorial debut with "Hi-Tech Wreck". Also considered to be one of the few 80s shows he worked on that he ''didn't'' hate.

Over the next few years, Spümcø would create several smaller projects, most notably the groundbreaking web cartoon ''WebAnimation/TheGodDamnGeorgeLiquorProgram'', the very first animated cartoon created with UsefulNotes/AdobeFlash ''and'' the first animated cartoon created exclusively for the internet. He also created the superhero spoof ''WesternAnimation/TheRippingFriends'', that he considers a bit of an OldShame, for Creator/{{Teletoon}}.

Over the next few years, Spümcø would create several smaller projects, most notably the groundbreaking web cartoon ''WebAnimation/TheGodDamnGeorgeLiquorProgram'', the very first animated cartoon created with UsefulNotes/AdobeFlash ''and'' the first animated cartoon created exclusively for the internet.

[floatboxright:Influences: Creator/BobClampett, Creator/TexAvery, Creator/HannaBarbera, Creator/RalphBakshi, Creator/KirkDouglas, Creator/PeterLorre, Film/TheThreeStooges]

[floatboxright:Influences: Creator/BobClampett, Creator/TexAvery, Creator/HannaBarbera, Creator/KirkDouglas, Creator/PeterLorre, Film/TheThreeStooges]

* NotSoDifferentRemark: Former colleagues were quick to point out that he may have been just as creatively stifling as the "non-artists" (executives, writers, etc.) he demonized throughout his career. While he accused the Nick executives of neutering too many jokes and making ''Ren and Stimpy'' too soft, just as many former Spumco employees said that he was equally if not ''more'' demanding though his obsessive attention to detail and habit of outright destroying artists' work if they didn't meet his exact standards, which were often vague. Also, despite his disdain for model sheets and stock poses which were the norm in UsefulNotes/TheDarkAgeOfAnimation (when he started working), he forbid his artists from ever deviating from his layout drawings. Tellingly, after he was fired from ''Ren and Stimpy'', the episode "Stimpy's Cartoon Show" was altered only slightly from his satire on ExecutiveMeddling to a TakeThat from his former employees towards him (notice Ren's horn-rimmed glasses, the same kind Kricfalusi wore at the time).

* NotSoDifferent: Former colleagues were quick to point out that he may have been just as creatively stifling as the "non-artists" (executives, writers, etc.) he demonized throughout his career. While he accused the Nick executives of neutering too many jokes and making ''Ren and Stimpy'' too soft, just as many former Spumco employees said that he was equally if not ''more'' demanding though his obsessive attention to detail and habit of outright destroying artists' work if they didn't meet his exact standards, which were often vague. Also, despite his disdain for model sheets and stock poses which were the norm in UsefulNotes/TheDarkAgeOfAnimation (when he started working), he forbid his artists from ever deviating from his layout drawings. Tellingly, after he was fired from ''Ren and Stimpy'', the episode "Stimpy's Cartoon Show" was altered only slightly from his satire on ExecutiveMeddling to a TakeThat from his former employees towards him (notice Ren's horn-rimmed glasses, the same kind Kricfalusi wore at the time).

By this time, Kricfalusi's reputation for mismanaging projects and being an abrasive, caustic personality was pretty much public knowledge, and had already damaged his career to the point that a comeback was very unlikely. In March 2018, however, former Spümcø employees Robyn Byrd and Katie Rice publicly accused Kricfalusi of grooming them, multiple instances of statutory rape, and possession of child pornography -- some of which featured himself as the abuser -- and several of Kricfalusi's coworkers came forth to support their claims. While Kricfalusi was never taken to court due to the statute of limitations, his reputation took such a tremendous hit that he announced his semi-retirement from animation soon thereafter.

-->-- '''John K''', [[http://filmthreat7.blogspot.com/ "Film Threat #7"]].

Michael John Kricfalusi (pronounced as kris-fa-LOO-see, born September 9, 1955), also known as John K., is Canadian animator best known as the creator of ''WesternAnimation/TheRenAndStimpyShow''. Throughout TheNineties, he was famous for his brand of [[DerangedAnimation insane]] and [[DependingOnTheArtist insanely-animated]] cartoons which borrowed heavily from 1940s-era [[UsefulNotes/TheGoldenAgeOfAnimation Golden Age]] shorts and was [[FollowTheLeader hugely influential]] on TV animation during the decade's [[UsefulNotes/TheRenaissanceAgeOfAnimation animation renaissance]].

In 1991, the ''WesternAnimation/TheRenAndStimpyShow'' was unleashed upon the world. Immediately controversial for its VulgarHumor and violent {{slapstick}}, its DerangedAnimation made it a huge hit with audiences who, like its creators, longed for the kind of jokes and visuals which were previously only seen in Golden Age-era theatrical cartoons. It went on to become one of the most popular and influential cartoons of the 1990s, making Spümcø superstars of the animation world. Unfortunately, despite (or rather because of) its popularity, Kricfalusi's habit of biting the hand that fed him continued and his perfectionism worsened, famously [[ScheduleSlip delaying episodes anywhere from several months to a year]]. At the peak of the show's popularity, he and his studio were [[ExecutiveMeddling fired from production]] and the show continued production in-house at Nickelodeon's own animation studio.

By this time, Kricfalusi's reputation for mismanaging projects and being an abrasive, caustic personality was pretty well public knowledge, and had already damaged his career to the point that a comeback was very unlikely. In March 2018, however, former Spümco employees Robyn Byrd and Katie Rice publicly accused Kricfalusi of grooming them, multiple instances of statutory rape, and possession of child pornography -- some of which featured himself as the abuser -- and several of Kricfalusi's coworkers came forth to support their claims. While Kricfalusi was never taken to court due to the statute of limitations, his reputation took such a tremendous hit that he announced his semi-retirement from animation soon thereafter.

By this time, Kricfalusi's reputation for mismanaging projects and being an abrasive, caustic personality was pretty well public knowledge, and had already damaged his career to the point that a revival was very unlikely. In March 2018, however, former Spümco employees Robyn Byrd and Katie Rice publicly accused Kricfalusi of grooming them, multiple instances of statutory rape, and possession of child pornography -- some of which featured himself as the abuser -- and several of Kricfalusi's coworkers came forth to support their claims. While Kricfalusi was never taken to court due to the statute of limitations, his reputation took such a tremendous hit that he announced his semi-retirement from animation soon thereafter.

Born in [[UsefulNotes/{{Canada}} Chicoutimi, Quebec]], Kricfalusi attended Sheridan College for exactly one semester in 1978 before getting expelled for poor attendance. He spent several years bouncing around various animation studios, most notably working for Ralph Bakshi on his mid-1980s ''[[WesternAnimation/MightyMouseTheNewAdventures Mighty Mouse]]'' revival. However, Kricfalusi openly hated most of the projects he worked on, and generally split from these studios acrimoniously. Having burned too many bridges to keep getting animation work, Kricfalusi founded the illustration company Spümcø. Around this time, the cable channel Creator/{{Nickelodeon}} put out a call for creator-driven cartoons -- "Franchise/{{Nicktoons}}" -- and Spümcø was one of the first on their call list.

Born in [[UsefulNotes/{{Canada}} Chicoutimi, Quebec]], Kricfalusi attended Sheridan College for exactly one semester in 1978 before getting expelled for poor attendance. He spent several years bouncing around various animation studios, most notably working for Ralph Bakshi on his mid-1980s ''[[WesternAnimation/MightyMouseTheNewAdventures Mighty Mouse]]'' revival. However, Kricfalusi openly hated most of the projects he worked on, and generally split from these studios acrimoniously.Having burned too many bridges to keep getting animation work, Kricfalusi founded the illustration company Spümcø. Around this time, the cable channel Creator/{{Nickelodeon}} put out a call for creator-driven cartoons -- "Franchise/{{Nicktoons}}" -- and Spümcø was one of the first on their call list.

By this time, Kricfalusi's reputation for mismanaging projects and being an abrasive, caustic personality was pretty well public knowledge, and had already damaged his career to the point that a revival was very unlikely. In March 2018, however, former Spümco employees Robyn Byrd and Katie Rice publicly accused Kricfalusi of grooming them, multiple instances of statutory rape, and possession of child pornography -- some of which featured himself as the abuser -- and several of Kricfalusi's coworkers came forth to support their claims. While Kricfalusi was never taken to court due to the statue of limitations, his reputation took such a tremendous hit that he announced his semi-retirement from animation soon thereafter.

In 1991, the ''WesternAnimation/TheRenAndStimpyShow'' was unleashed upon the world. Immediately controversial for its VulgarHumor and violent {{slapstick}}, its DerangedAnimation made it a huge hit with audiences who, like its creators, longed for the kind of jokes and visuals which were previously only seen in Golden Age-era theatrical cartoons. It went on to become one of the most popular and influential cartoons of the 1990s, making Spumco superstars of the animation world. Unfortunately, despite (or rather because of) its popularity, Kricfalusi's habit of biting the hand that fed him continued and his perfectionism worsened, famously [[ScheduleSlip delaying episodes anywhere from several months to a year]]. At the peak of the show's popularity, he and his studio were [[ExecutiveMeddling fired from production]] and the show continued production in-house at Nickelodeon's own animation studio.

Kricfalusi's next major project saw him return to ''Ren and Stimpy'' for the raunchy revival, ''WesternAnimation/RenAndStimpyAdultPartyCartoon''. Now with carte blanche to do whatever he wanted, Kricfalusi cranked everything about the series UpToEleven, taking a somewhat transgressive children's cartoon and heading full speed into AnimatedShockComedy territory. Unfortunately, this new project would also be plagued by ''even longer'' [[ScheduleSlip production delays]] than its predecessor. The show was canceled after three episodes after unanimously negative reception from critics and fans.

Michael John Kricfalusi (pronounced as kris-fa-LOO-see, born September 9, 1955), also known as John K., is an often controversial Canadian animator. He is best known as the creator of ''WesternAnimation/TheRenAndStimpyShow''. Throughout TheNineties, he was famous for his brand of [[DerangedAnimation insane]] and [[DependingOnTheArtist insanely-animated]] cartoons which borrowed heavily from 1940s-era [[UsefulNotes/TheGoldenAgeOfAnimation Golden Age]] shorts and was [[FollowTheLeader hugely influential]] on TV animation during the decade's [[UsefulNotes/TheRenaissanceAgeOfAnimation animation renaissance]]. In addition to his own work, for many years, he was the go-to guy for critiques and opinions on WesternAnimation/LooneyTunes and classic Creator/HannaBarbera shows (whether said opinions were welcome or not is a discussion for another site).

Born in [[CanadaEh Chicoutimi, Quebec]], Kricfalusi attended Sheridan College for exactly one semester in 1978 before getting expelled for poor attendance. He uprooted to Los Angeles with a couple of colleagues, including Bob Jaques and his then-girlfriend Lynne Naylor, shortly thereafter to work on various shows for Hanna Barbera, Creator/{{Filmation}} and Creator/RubySpears, most of which only for a single season. Being a huge fan of Creator/BobClampett and [[Creator/MaxAndDaveFleischer Fleischer Brothers]] cartoons, Kricfalusi was vocally hateful of the fact that the only work he could get was on [[UsefulNotes/TheDarkAgeOfAnimation bland, stiff TV animation]] and made it his goal to bring the aesthetics from the cartoons he loved to a new generation. His penchant for being opinionated became infamous, and would go on to define his public image perhaps more than his actual works.

In the mid-80s, Kricfalusi was hired by Creator/RalphBakshi to work on ''WesternAnimation/MightyMouse: The New Adventures''. It turned out to be a dream gig, not only because he was working for a respected animation legend but because it was a show in which all of the creative decisions (writing, design, layouts, etc.) were made by the artists rather than by TV writers or executives. Kricfalusi would direct eight episodes of the first season before quitting over CreativeDifferences with Bakshi.

Kricfalusi would attempt to recreate the success of ''Mighty Mouse'' with a similar revival of ''WesternAnimation/BeanyAndCecil'', a show created by his personal hero Bob Clampett, a year later. Despite [[ApprovalOfGod support from Clampett's wife]], Kricfalusi's refusal to cooperate with executives made them wary to meet his demands to produce the show without writers or model sheets or [[{{demographically inappropriate humour}} include raunchier humor]] like he wanted (and unlike ''Mighty Mouse'', Ralph Bakshi wasn't there to shoulder the blows from ExecutiveMeddling so he could do whatever he wanted). The show only lasted [[ShortRunner five episodes]] before he and the network acrimoniously parted.

Having burned too many bridges to keep getting animation work, Kricfalusi founded the illustration company Spümcø while occasionally doing freelance animation gigs. Around this time, a little cable TV station called Creator/{{Nickelodeon}} put out a call of independent animation studios to create pilots for creator-driven cartoons, or Franchise/{{Nicktoons}} as they would later be known, and Spümcø was one of the first on their call list.

In 1991, ''WesternAnimation/TheRenAndStimpyShow'' was unleashed upon the world. Immediately controversial for its VulgarHumor and violent {{slapstick}}, its DerangedAnimation made it a huge hit with audiences who, like its creators, longed for the kind of jokes and visuals which were previously only seen in Golden Age-era theatrical cartoons. It went on to become one of the most popular and influential cartoons of the 1990s, making Spumco superstars of the animation world. Unfortunately, despite (or rather because of) its popularity, Kricfalusi's habit of biting the hand that fed him continued and his perfectionism worsened, famously [[ScheduleSlip delaying episodes anywhere from several months to a year]]. At the peak of the show's popularity, he and his studio were [[ExecutiveMeddling fired from production]] and the show continued production in-house at Nickelodeon's homegrown studio Games Animation (now Nickelodeon Animation Studio).

Over the next few years, Spümcø would create several short subject projects, including the groundbreaking web cartoon ''WebAnimation/TheGodDamnGeorgeLiquorProgram'', the very first animated cartoon created with UsefulNotes/AdobeFlash ''and'' the first animated cartoon created exclusively for the internet, and its spinoff ''WebAnimation/WeekendPussyHunt,'' as well as an AnimatedMusicVideo for Music/{{Bjork}}'s 1997 single, "I Miss You" and a well-received series of Old Navy commercials. In the early 2000s, he created three ''WesternAnimation/YogiBear [[WesternAnimation/JohnKsYogiBearShorts revival shorts]]: ''A Day In The Life of Ranger Smith'' , ''Boo Boo and the Man'' and ''Boo Boo Runs Wild''.

At the TurnOfTheMillennium, Kricfalusi made something of a second career out of being a professional {{fanboy}}, appearing on DVD collections of and being quoted in books about classic cartoons, most of which at the request of respected animation historian Jerry Beck. He was also regularly quoted in animation magazines, often penning [[CausticCritic negative reviews]] of then-current animated shows and films, most notably a scathing review of ''WesternAnimation/{{Animaniacs}}'' (under the name Thomas Payne) before he had watched a single episode[[note]]One of the many bridges he had burned, had been with the show's creator, Tom Ruegger, while collaborating on an unfinished Halloween episode of ''WesternAnimation/TinyToonAdventures'', so it was personal.[[/note]] in Animation Magazine and an inflammatory article about how Nickelodeon and the Games Animation crew ruined ''Ren and Stimpy'' in Wild Cartoon Kingdom. While his forceful personality and lack of filter earned him an almost literal cult of worship around himself among impressionable young cartoon fans, his derogatory hatred of non-artists and general tactlessness made him divisive among professionals.

2001 saw Kricfalusi's second attempt at an original TV show with ''WesternAnimation/TheRippingFriends''. CreativeDifferences once again reared their ugly head, this time between Kricfalusi and the two Canadian animation studios which were animating the show - Creator/RedRoverStudios and Creator/FunbagAnimation, respectively. The studios outright ignored his direction and eschewed his brand of OffModel custom poses for a more standard-looking cartoon, resulting in [[HostilityOnTheSet a near-fist fight with Funbag head John Shaw, when Kricfalusi visited the studio]]. The show ended up becoming another one-season wonder for Kricfalusi.

Kricfalusi's next project saw him once again taking the helm of ''Ren and Stimpy'' for the raunchy revival, ''WesternAnimation/RenAndStimpyAdultPartyCartoon''. Now with carte blanche to do whatever he wanted, everything both on screen and behind the scenes was cranked UpToEleven: the VulgarHumor, ultra-violent {{slapstick}}, sexual innuendo (if not outright porn) and ''especially'' the [[ScheduleSlip production delays]]. The show was canceled after three episodes, with three more in production, after unanimously negative reception from critics and fans - his career never recovered. Spümcø was soon relegated to Kricfalusi working out of his apartment until it was sued into bankruptcy by former colleague Bob Jaques and his studio Creator/CarbunkleCartoons for years of unpaid outsourcing work, [[CreatorKiller officially closing in 2005]].

In 2006, he started ''Blog/JohnKStuff'', a blog which detailed practical knowledge for aspiring animators, analysis on classic cartoons and his unfiltered opinions on the medium, which include often [[WallOfText overwhelming rants]] about what he considered good or bad animation, most notably his steadfast belief that story and character are unimportant to a cartoon's success and that it should rely on good drawings. There is also a more distilled version with advice and lessons on cartooning and animation, [[http://johnkcurriculum.blogspot.com/ John K Curriculum]]. Both are often recommended by animation teachers for its useful information about technique and history (although they recommend taking Kricfalusi's opinions with more than a pinch of salt).

In 2012, Kricfalusi attempted to produce an indie short, ''WesternAnimation/CansWithoutLabels'', through Kickstarter. The project [[TroubledProduction could not have been more of a disaster]]. Communication with backers was minimal, including delivering rewards, with Kricfalusi claiming that he had somehow blown through the budget before production was even half-finished, if not outright [[LyingCreator lying to followers]]. That same year, he took a hiatus from his blog to start plans for a new studio in Florida, which never came to be.

One year later, ''Literature/SickLittleMonkeys'', an unauthorized tell-all by Thad Komorowski about the history of ''Ren and Stimpy'', was released. Through interviews with former colleagues, it talks about Kricfalusi's abrasive management skills with both his Spümcø staff and network executives, as well as his poor work ethic. A drought of personal output throughout the decade wouldn't do him any favors, with his only released animation being graphics for Music/MileyCyrus's "Bangerz" tour and a handful of Creator/AdultSwim bumpers, all in a new, extremely abstract style which [[TheyChangedItNowItSucks his dyed-in-the-wool fans did not take to]], as well as a few drawing commission gigs and "phone doodles" (absent-minded drawings he would do while talking on the phone) being sold through his website on the side.

In March 2018, however, former Spümco employees Robyn Byrd and Katie Rice publicly [[https://www.buzzfeed.com/arianelange/john-kricfalusi-ren-stimpy-underage-sexual-abuse accused Kricfalusi of grooming them]], up to and including multiple acts of statutory rape. He was also accused of having possessed child pornography on his computer, as well as Polaroids of himself having sex with Byrd, Rice and other underage girls. His former colleagues immediately came forth to support these allegations.

Though Kricfalusi said he had "poor impulse control" from living with ADHD and bipolar disorder, as well as a history of alcoholism, Byrd and Rice dismissed his statement as a "non-apology" which deflected from their accusations and earned him even more ire from people suffering from these and similar illnesses. Kricfalusi closed all of his social media accounts (except Facebook) shortly thereafter. While legal action wasn't taken against Kricfalusi due to the statute of limitations[[note]]Both this case and that involving Creator/BillCosby have convinced lawmakers to re-examine the law.[[/note]], the scandal [[RoleEndingMisdemeanor permanently damaged his reputation]]. Nickelodeon removed his photo from its wall of creators and temporarily pulled ''Ren & Stimpy'' from its streaming service and broadcasts on [=NickSplat=] for a year, while Creator/CartoonNetwork announced they would never work with him again. ''Cans Without Labels'' was finally released a year later through Shopify to negative reception.

In 2020, Kricfalusi participated in the Sundance documentary ''Happy Happy Joy Joy: The Ren and Stimpy Story''. Though he initially declined to appear, he reconsidered once his history of abuse went public and the filmmakers decided to recut the already-finished film to address the matter. In his interviews, he announced his semi-retirement from animation while acknowledging and, at the very least, attempting to apologize for his sexual abuse.