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Voice Actor Brett Weaver Responds to Mignogna, Mari Iijima Photos

Ushio & Tora voice actor Brett Weaver issued a comment to Anime News Network after photos posted on Twitter appeared to dispute his previous statements that he prevented fellow voice actor Vic Mignogna from sitting next to Macross voice actress Mari Iijima at her request at Tekkoshocon 2007.

Regarding the above photos, Weaver commented to ANN, “I have seen those pictures. I am at a loss. I know that Mari [Iijima] asked me for help, and I remember saying a brief thing to Vic. I even spoke to my wife about it and she remembers me talking about it on that day. It was 12 years ago. I know I helped, but I guess I misremembered about where we sat. I am trying to remember if we had more than one panel. This was one of those situations where it wasn't really a big thing, so it hasn't really sat in the forefront of my mind.”

The Twitter poster Nadesico claimed the pictures were taken from during Tekkoshocon 2007, and specifically from the panel that Brett Weaver referred to in comments on his own Twitter feed and also to ANN.

Weaver had claimed that he prevented Mignogna from sitting next to Iijima at the panel. The photographs on Twitter show Mignogna sitting next to Iijima, with Weaver on the right.

Multiple former staff members of Tekkoshokon told Anime News Network that Iijima had experienced harassment by Mignogna during the Tekkoshokon 2007 and 2010 conventions.

Jim Gogal, who was the was President of the Board of Tekkoshocon Inc. and Chief Executive Officer in 2010 told ANN that Iijima's room was moved once during the 2010 event. According to Gogal, “She had reported to me that Mignogna had been calling her room and showed up there at one point. She was moved to a different room inside the same hotel. This room was booked under a different name to prevent any future incidents. Iijima was also given extra security afterwards.” Gogal said Iijima remained in her new room for the duration of the event.

Gogal also stated, “Mignogna and Iijima's schedules were specifically made so they would not encounter each other at her [Iijima's] request. This was because, as she relayed to me, his past behavior and harassment to her.”

ANN sent a query to Iijima about the alleged incidents involving Mignogna at either the 2007 or 2010 Tekkoshocon event. Iijima declined to comment on the matters.

In Mignogna's deposition on June 26, he stated that he did not recall being uninvited from Tekkoshocon and that his absence from the convention was not related to allegations that he was stalking someone at the event.

Source: E-mail correspondence