Latest news with #SebastianBond
Telegraph
12 hours ago
- Business
- Telegraph
Gossip website founder facing £2m defamation bill is vegan influencer
A gossip website founder has been unmasked as a male vegan influencer after nearly a decade of anonymity. Sebastian Bond, 41, was revealed as the architect of the popular online forum Tattle Life after losing a £300,000 defamation case, in which he was also ordered to pay costs of £1.8 million. The British businessman has run the website since 2017 under the pseudonym Helen McDougal. The site encourages its 12 million monthly visitors to share their opinions of those in the public eye, which critics say has allowed for vicious 'trolling'. Mr Bond, who runs plant-based recipe Instagram page Nest and Glow, was sued by Neil and Donna Sands for defamation and harassment at the High Court in Northern Ireland in 2023. The pair were awarded £300,000. Mr Bond has now had his anonymity waived after reporting restrictions were lifted last week. He was also ordered to cover the Sands's legal costs and third-party compliance expenses, which came to £1.8 million. The pair were also granted injunctive relief to prevent the site from posting about them in the future. Mr and Mrs Sands, who work in fashion and AI respectively, said they had contacted the site in 2021 to request the comments be taken down and threatened legal action. Mr Justice McAlinden said in December 2023 that Mr Bond's running of the site 'constitutes behaviour solely aimed at making profit out of people's misery'. 'Zero-tolerance policy' He added: 'People facilitating this are making money out of it… protecting their income streams by protecting the identity of the individual posters.' Tattle Life informs users that it has a 'zero-tolerance policy to any content that is abusive, hateful, harmful and a team of moderators online 24/7 to remove any content that breaks our strict rules - often in minutes'. It adds: 'We allow people to express their views on businesses away from an influencer's feed on a site where they would have to go out of their way to read, this is not trolling.' 'Forced to take action' Reporting restrictions preventing Mr Bond from being named were lifted at the High Court of Justice in Northern Ireland last week, while his assets were also frozen. The court was shown a letter from Mr Bond's legal team, sent to one of the plaintiffs, claiming he was the Tattle Life founder but was 'unaware of any legal proceedings against him'. In an Instagram post over the weekend, Donna and Neil said: 'As a couple we never wanted or expected to undertake this work, however when we discovered the hate site Tattle Life we were forced to take action. 'We are very grateful for your support and hope that this serves as a reminder to those who want to attack others from behind a screen - that the internet is not an anonymous place. 'We will share more soon, but for today, we hope that this news will provide some peace to those affected by online hate and harassment and that the internet can be a safer space for us all. Onward.' 'Anonymous online attacks' Neil Sands later told The Journal: 'We undertook this case not just for ourselves but for the many people who have suffered serious personal and professional harm through anonymous online attacks on this and other websites. 'We believe in free speech, but not consequence-free speech – particularly where it is intended to, and succeeds in, causing real-world damage to people's lives, livelihoods and mental health. We were in the fortunate position to be able to take the fight to these faceless operators, and it took a lot of time, effort and expense.'
Metro
15 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Metro
I name and shame Tattle gossip trolls - and even tell their bosses
The internet can be a breeding ground for trolls and it's none more so evident than on the infamous online forum Tattle Life. Described as the 'the most hate-filled corner of the web', the site has hit the headlines after its founder was unmasked as plant-based recipe influencer Sebastian Bond, known as Bastian Durward of Nest & Glow. His identity came to light after Neil and Donna Sands, who runs the clothing brand Syklie, sued the website for hosting defamatory commentary about them. They argued that the website has 'profited as a space where users could defame, harass, stalk and attack others online' and were awarded £300,000 by the Northern Ireland High Court last week. Despite many petitions to shut Tattle life down, the site is so popular there is even a waitlist to join. A delve into its pages quickly unearths thousands of vicious threads posted by an army of devoted users. 'What a rough-looking, ugly, greasy bleep. Look at that manky tan line near her greasy hairline,' one commenter, called officially2020, said in a post about a reality star. Another, who goes under the name of teshhco-tart, described a famous cleaning influencer as 'the most low energy, uncreative, ungrateful, lazy, ugly and unhygienic hating witch there is!'. There's also a thread all about how ugly the children of one TV presenter are. Tattle Life rules state a zero-tolerance policy to any content that is abusive, hateful or harmful – but it's clear many users say whatever they want about anyone they want without any fear of accountability. Under the cloak of anonymity that the site offers, some commentators must have felt untouchable. That was, until recently. Lawsuits aside, there's a wave of Instagram accounts seeking to expose the trolls that stalk the site's pages in the same manner over the last few years. One is called Tattlers_Unmasked, a private account with over 38,000 followers, which sporadically reveals the people they say are behind the hurtful comments on Tattle Life. Those being exposed come from all walks of life, from charity workers to retail assistants, and not only are their names and pictures posted, but workplaces are tagged and LinkedIn profiles are screengrabbed. After 'outing' one troll, the account declared: 'I hope now she knows what it feels like to be scrutinised.' Speaking exclusively to Metro, the woman behind Tattle Unmasked says that she decided to reveal the identity of the 'trolls' posting on the site because 'no one else is standing up for the people who have threads'. 'They just have to take it,' explains Michelle, who has asked to go under a pseudonym to protect her own identity. 'Tattlers take it upon themselves to contact brands, contact the press, report influencers to the RSPCA, Social Services and anyone else they can report people to. What gives them the right to do that? Unmasking them is my way of clapping back for the influencers. 'Having spoken to many people who have threads, it is not knowing what their tattlers look like that is the most frightening. They could be anyone. Tattlers_Unmasked gives my followers the chance to see for themselves that tattlers are just normal people, like you and me.' Initially called the site first appeared online in 2017 with Helen McDougall named as its originator. 'Helen' is quoted on the forum as saying that the motivation to set up Tattle was due to some influencers 'brazenly breaking the guidelines for adverts' in posts where they were paid to promote brands or products. Yet it's not just a breach of advertising standards that influencers and celebrities are being attacked for. While the site claims to have a team of moderators online 24/7 to remove any content that breaks its strict rules, a search exposes thousands of forums tearing women apart for everything from their looks to their mental health or even their children. While Katie Price, Kate Garraway and Alice Evans are constant subjects of scrutiny, it's not just household celebrities and influencers with millions of followers who can fall victim. Vicky Saynor runs the Bethnal & Bec holiday rental company with her husband Chris and found herself facing 10 days of terrifying trolling back in 2020 when they opened up their properties for survivors of domestic abuse to use as safe housing. 'The abuse felt constant,' she tells Metro. 'We worked with local authorities and social services to ensure everything was above board and posted about our decision on Instagram.' Although the couple never identified the women who sought shelter, someone decided to set up a Tattle thread accusing them of offering her refuge to make themselves look good. 'They said we weren't qualified and were putting the women's lives at risk,' remembers Vicky. 'Someone encouraged others to troll our social accounts, and we started to get 20-30 messages a day on Instagram.'Although she was too scared to view the actual thread on Tattle, Vicky asked a friend to keep an eye on it in case things took a nasty turn. 'They knew our address as we lived near our rental properties and people were threatening to turn up,' she remembers. 'There was so much anger, I was terrified. The abuse lasted for about 10 days before it died down, but it felt like forever. I'm not an influencer with a huge following, I'm just a business owner who tried to do a nice thing during the pandemic.' Tattle famously hit the headlines back in 2019 when prominent influencer Clemmie Hooper, known then as Mother of Daughters, was found to be a troll on the site, attacking fellow blogger Candice Brathwaite. When her identity was outed by internet sleuths, midwife Clemmie confessed to being behind the comments and quit social media. While the scandal not only rocked the world of mummy influencers, it also proved that no one could hide behind the safety of a screen. Michelle insists that no one is outed on her site unless she is '10000% confident' they are the correct person – and she refuses to worry about the repercussions. 'If Tattlers can say the most awful things about people in the name of gossip, then I, like them, have no qualms about doing what I do,' she admits. 'At the end of the day, I am only posting what is available to be viewed by anyone else if they do a deep dive. I just pull it altogether.' Of course, there is the risk that in turn she could be unmasked herself and trolled – especially, as she claims, that she has site owners or moderators following her, although she says it's not a concern. 'I only have one IG account, which is Tattlers_Unmasked, and I have one Facebook account that is not in my name, which is buried and inconspicuous,' Michelle explains. 'There are no photos of me online and I have no digital footprint – anywhere.' Michelle adds that when she unmasks someone, the Tattlers who follow her head over to a thread on Tattle Life, which is dedicated to trying to find out who she is. 'The moderators then spend the next few hours removing all mention of my account,' she says. 'I have taken screen grabs of them telling members 'Do not feed the trolls the oxygen that they crave'. It's quite ironic when you think of it!' Another person who has started outing Tattle Life users is social media influencer Chloe*. Although she does it on a 'less public' level, she adds. As a content creator, she's been the brunt of many Tattle threads. 'It's hard to believe such a vile place exists,' she tells Metro. 'I started on quite a small level, but when my popularity grew, out came the trolls. They would comment on anything and everything and get really personal, literally picking me apart. 'What makes it odd is that these are women not a million miles away from who I am – I even knew one of them on a personal level. But when they thought I wouldn't know who was saying what about me, they let rip. It's wild.' Chloe says it's actually really easy to find out who the people are behind the accounts. 'People leave such a trail of clues without even realising,' she laughs. Is unmasking anonymous online trolls the right approach to dealing with cyberbullying? Yes, it holds them accountable No, it could incite further harmful behaviour There needs to be a better system in place But rather than confront them publicly, she reports them to their workplaces instead. 'I think the fact that people are now exposing those behind these horrible threads is wonderful, but I never wanted to do it with a big song and dance. I just want people to be held accountable in some way, so they realise that their actions have consequences. And when the evidence is presented to your boss it's a pretty damning and serious situation to be in.' Of course, while many will say being exposed is exactly what the trolls deserve, others argue that it's tantamount to online bullying itself. Counsellor Georgina Sturmer believes that outing abusive commentators could lead to further destructive behaviour and that their online abuse is usually always a sign of sadness or insecurity. 'Trolling could be someone's coping mechanism,' she tells Metro. 'That's not to say it's right, but there could be a real risk with unmasking them. This might lead to an outburst of anger, anxiety or panic. 'If someone engages in trolling behaviours, it's usually an indication that they are feeling unhappy or insecure about something,' adds Georgina. 'This might be triggered by the person they are trolling. Some operate in isolation, but often trolls will 'pile in' on another's comment or action. More Trending 'They are drawn in to agree and support each other as it offers them a feeling of validation and a sense of belonging. This is particularly attractive if they are feeling lonely, disconnected or misunderstood in their everyday lives.' However, Michelle, who says that none of her friends, family or colleagues know about her unmasking site – says she has no plans of stopping any time soon. 'My account gains new followers daily,' she says. 'And as long as there are Tattlers to out, the account will remain.' *Name has been changed. A version of this article first appeared in April 2024. MORE: Katie Price shows off new figure in tiny bikini after weight loss and bum job MORE: 'I was given a gun when I turned 12 — teachers said I'd be dead by 25' MORE: Online spells and WitchTok – welcome to the world of modern day witches Your free newsletter guide to the best London has on offer, from drinks deals to restaurant reviews.
Daily Mail
20 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Creator of Tattle Life finally unmasked: Founder of the 'most toxic place on the internet' is revealed as a male vegan influencer - as he's sued over posts on gossip forum where stars and 'normal mums' were 'relentlessly harassed'
The anonymous blogger who made money running a gossip site dubbed a 'trolls' paradise' has been revealed to be a male vegan food influencer - after a two-year legal battle saw an Irish couple successfully get £300,000 in damages after suing the publisher. A 41-year-old English man called Sebastian Bond is now confirmed to be behind Tattle Life, a forum which became synonymous with venomous posts about influencers, A-listers and anyone in the public eye; spurred on by countless of accounts sporting vague, untraceable usernames. Users dissect and annihilate, every minute detail of their targets' posts, from cleaning guru Mrs Hinch 's perceived struggle to fasten the poppers on her son's outfit (sample quote: 'like she'd never even seen a baby let alone dressed one before') to presenter Stacey Solomon 's toenails ('they could snatch salmon out of the river they are that long'). But now, a court has promised that a 'day of reckoning' it coming both for the cogs running the platform as well as those who used it to spit vitriol. For nearly a decade, since the site was set up in 2017, no one knew who ran Tattle Life. But many may be surprised to hear that he is a businessman 'going under a number of aliases' - and is reportedly known online as the author and foodie behind plant-based recipe Instagram page Nest and Glow (boasting 135,000 followers), according to the plaintiffs' legal team. Sebastian's identity can be revealed after the High Court of Justice in Northern Ireland last week granted an application to lift reporting restrictions, The Journal reports. Couple Neil and Donna Sands pursued legal action after facing 'defamation and harassment' on Tattle Life 'threads'. Donna, who runs Sylkie along with other brands, and Neil, an AI founder, said they found a 45-page thread of which they were subject to. This was deleted in May of this year. As per the outlet, Neil first reached out to the site operators in 2021 and asked them to take down the commentary about himself and Donna 'or face legal action'. In 2023, they initiated the process. Neil and Donna got £150,000 each in damages, and the Court granted an injunctive relief to prevent Tattle Life from posting about the couple again. It was also ordered that the Sands' legal costs be paid, with 'further costs and third-party compliance expenses' amounting to £1.8 million. The defendants' cessation figure - the amount which is payable to lift freezing orders against them - is currently at £1,077,173.00. The judge hit out at Tattle Life, stating there was 'clearly a case of peddling untruths for profit'. 'It is the exercise of extreme cynicism - the calculated exercise of extreme cynicism,' they continued. 'Which in reality constitutes behaviour solely aimed at making profit out of people's misery. 'People facilitating this are making money out of it… protecting their income streams by protecting the identity of the individual posters.' It is also understood that Sebastian uses different names online - one of them being Bastian Durward - and owns a number of businesses across the world. Two of them, Mr Justice Colton confirmed, include UK-registered Yuzu Zest Limited and Hong Kong-registered Kumquat Tree Limited. According to Companies House information, the former is currently in liquidation but alleged to offer 'media representation services'. At a hearing last Thursday, the court saw a letter from Sebastian's legal team, sent to one of the plaintiffs, claiming he was the Tattle Life founder but was 'unaware of any legal proceedings against him'. The Sands legal representatives disputed that he was unaware. An initial glimpse at Nest and Glow doesn't won't rouse suspicions that its founder is running a social media platform that has become known for its 'cruel' remarks. Aesthetic photos of mango chia seed pots and sweet potato snacks dominate the feed, along with instructions for recipes. An Amazon author page for his cookbook - being flogged for £20 online - claims that 'Bastian' has a 'passion for sharing healthy recipes to inspire everyone to eat natural food full of nutrients and vitamins' 'I've been vegan for over 30 years and on a nutrient-dense plant-based healthy diet for 15 of those,' he added. 'In 2015 I decided to leave my office job in order to follow my passions. This resulted in setting up the site Nest and Glow where I share healthy recipes and other natural lifestyle content.' However, the Irish couple who unmasked him as Tattle Life, have shared the names of his alises on their social media - stating that he was masking under the false name as a site moderator, Helen McDougal. 'Dear Friends,' Neil and Donna shared in an Instagram statement this weekend. 'As a couple we never wanted or expected to undertake this work, however when we discovered the hate site we were forced to take action. 'We are very grateful for your support, and hope that this serves as a reminder to those who want to attack others from behind a screen - that the internet is not an anonymous place. 'We will share more soon, but for today, we hope that this news will provide some peace to those affected by online hate and harassment, and that the internet can be a safer space for us all. Onward.' Tattle Life states on its site that it has a 'zero-tolerance policy to any content that is abusive, hateful, harmful and a team of moderators online 24/7 to remove any content that breaks our strict rules - often in minutes'. However, it adds that 'influencer marketing is insidious' and 'revolves around people that occupy the space between celebrity and friend to stealthy sell when in reality it's a parasocial relationship. 'It's an important part of a healthy, free and fair society for members of the public to have an opinion on those in a position of power and influence; that is why tattle exists. 'We allow people to express their views on businesses away from an influencers feed on a site where they would have to go out of their way to read, this is not trolling.' As reported per The Journal, Neil Sands also said: 'We undertook this case not just for ourselves but for the many people who have suffered serious personal and professional harm through anonymous online attacks on this and other websites. 'We believe in free speech, but not consequence-free speech – particularly where it is intended to, and succeeds in, causing real-world damage to people's lives, livelihoods and mental health. We were in the fortunate position to be able to take the fight to these faceless operators, and it took a lot of time, effort and expense.' Countless celebrities have been subject to vitriol at the hands of vicious comment threads - as well as those with smaller online presences. One tribe seems to draw particular malice: so-called mumfluencers, Instagram influencers who make their trade in sharing the exploits of themselves and their children online. In 2023, former mummy blogger Clemmie Hooper was handed a caution order for a period of one-year following a midwifery misconduct hearing - four years after she engaged in trolling other influencers on a gossip forum. The mother-of-four from Kent, once boasted 700,000 followers on Instagram and had partnered with brands such as Mothercare and Boden on sponsored posts. But in 2019, Clemmie - who worked part-time as a midwife - came off social media after her account on Tattle Life, a website devoted to discussing influencers, was exposed. Among the posts made under the Alice in Wanderlust psuedonym, was one accusing Black mummy blogger Candice Brathwaite of social climbing, being 'aggressive' and using her 'race as a weapon'. Just two months before, Clemmie had invited Candice onto her podcast to discuss her traumatic birth experience and how she developed life-threatening sepsis following an emergency C-section. Following the Fitness To Practise Committee Substantive Hearing with the Nursing and Midwifery Council, which started on February 28, of that year the panel's decision was announced on March 7. Earlier in the hearing, Clemmie had admitted to three of the charges facing her - that she made the comments in question, and that they had been intended to 'undermine or humiliate' their target. She also accepted that elements of the posts were 'racially offensive and/or discriminatory', but maintains that she was unaware of this offence at the time. The panel took into account some mitigating factors, including Clemmie's health at the time of making the posts, which was said to have clouded her objectivity. It also considered positive testimonials with regards to her midwifery practice, her public apology, her reflection and insight into her conduct, and her 'evident remorse', as well as how she had been affected by reading a very large volume of negative comments about herself online. Her self-removal from social media, and what the panel considered to be her negligible risk of repetition, were also considered mitigating factors. In addition, the panel said it accepts that Clemmie was unaware that describing a Black woman as aggressive was a racial trope when writing the posts, and that she has since engaged in self-directed training and reading around equality and diversity. Speaking to Grazia in 2021, Candice Brathwaite, said it had been 'painful' reading the posts on Tattle.
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Yahoo
Couple awarded £300k in damages after suing gossip website
A County Antrim couple have been awarded £300,000 in libel damages after they sued controversial gossip website, Tattle Life. Entrepreneurs Neil and Donna Sands secured the pay-out in a defamation and harassment lawsuit over abusive comments posted on the website. The defendant companies and suspected operator of the site, Sebastian Bond, can now be revealed after reporting restrictions were lifted at Belfast's High Court on Friday. The couple obtained £150,000 in damages each as well as legal costs in December 2023 after suing over what they regarded as "hate speech". The website which hosts threads commenting on influencers, celebrities and general members of the public has attracted up to 12 million visitors a month. The judge said the site had been set up to deliberately inflict hurt and harm on others by allowing the anonymous trashing of people's reputations. Neil Sands, 43, a technology entrepreneur and his 34-year-old wife Donna who has a fashion business, sued over posts made in February 2021. They claimed they were subject to a campaign of harassment, invasion of privacy, defamation and breach of data rights. The legal battle lasted two years and was undertaken at the cost of Mr and Mrs Sands. A series of freezing orders for more than £1m were also made while a worldwide forensic investigation was carried out to identify the defendants and their assets. The defendants can now be identified as UK national Sebastian Bond and the British and Hong Kong-registered companies Yuzu Zest Limited and Kumquat Tree Limited. A barrister argued it was now beyond doubt that Mr Bond operated the site. Speaking outside court, Mr Sands said the case had been taken on behalf of others who have suffered serious personal and professional harm through anonymous online attacks. Further legal efforts are expected to focus on securing enforcement of the damages award.
Irish Times
4 days ago
- Business
- Irish Times
Tattle Life gossip website operator named after couple awarded £300,000 libel damages over posts
A Co Antrim -based business couple have been awarded £300,000 (€352,000) libel damages as part of a landmark legal battle to uncover the operator of a controversial gossip website. Entrepreneurs Neil and Donna Sands secured the payout in a defamation and harassment lawsuit over abusive comments posted on Tattle Life. Reporting restrictions on naming the defendant companies and suspected operator of the site, Sebastian Bond, were lifted at the High Court in Belfast on Friday. In December 2023 Mr and Mrs Sands obtained awards of £150,000 in damages each, plus legal costs in mounting the action over what they regarded as a form of 'hate speech'. READ MORE It is believed to be the largest defamation payout of its kind in Northern Ireland . A series of freezing orders for more than £1 million were also made while a worldwide forensic investigation was carried out to identify the defendants and their assets. In a ruling delivered at that stage, Mr Justice McAlinden stated: 'A day of reckoning will come for those behind Tattle Life and for those individuals who posted on Tattle Life.' The online forum, which hosts threads commenting on influencers, celebrities and general members of the public, has attracted up to 12 million visitors a month. Neil Sands, a 43-year-old technology entrepreneur, and his wife Donna, 34, who runs a fashion business, sued over postings made back in February 2021. The couple claimed they had been subject to a campaign of harassment, invasion of privacy, defamation and breach of data rights. According to the judge, the site had been set up to deliberately inflict hurt and harm on others by allowing the anonymous trashing of people's reputations. 'This is clearly a case of peddling untruths for profit,' he stated. In a complex two-year legal battle undertaken at their own cost, Mr and Mrs Sands deployed advanced technological and intelligence methods as they sought to discover who was in charge of the site. The defendants can now be identified as UK national Sebastian Bond and the British and Hong Kong-registered companies Yuzu Zest Limited and Kumquat Tree Limited. Barrister Peter Girvan argued it was now beyond doubt that Mr Bond operated the site. With reporting restrictions and anonymity orders lifted, further legal efforts are now expected to focus on securing enforcement of the damages award. Speaking outside court, Mr Sands stressed the case had also been taken on behalf of others who have suffered serious personal and professional harm through anonymous online attacks. 'We believe in free speech but not consequence-free speech; particularly where it is intended to, and succeeds in, causing real-world damage to people's lives, livelihoods and mental health,' he said. 'We were in the fortunate position to be able to take the fight to these faceless operators, and it took a lot of time, effort and expense.' Solicitor Peter Barr of Gately NI, who represented the couple, detailed the scope of the global forensic investigation. 'We had to pursue the money around the world, from the UK to Hong Kong, using a mix of legal innovation and digital evidence to expose what was clearly a sophisticated effort to avoid scrutiny,' he said. 'This judgment sends a clear message that online anonymity cannot shield unlawful behaviour.'
