Second Wind Co-Founder Nick Calandra SEETHING while WE KEEP WINNING!!!
Alyssa Mercante, former Senior Editor at Kotaku, has taken her long-standing obsession with attacking my professional coverage of the entire video game industry to an alarming personal and (now especially) dangerous new level. She's escalated her feud by filing an outrageous and completely baseless lawsuit against me in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of New York. As I've covered previously, her lawsuit filing is nothing more than a blatant attempt to silence me, harm my reputation, and put me and my family at risk—all while keeping her name in the headlines and maintaining her relevance.
To address this (and due to overwhelming requests from the community to support me), I launched the Smash JT Defense Fund on GiveSendGo, setting the goal of $25,000 to cover the exact amount of money needed for my legal defense, spearheaded by my lawyer, Ron Coleman. After our initial conversation, I felt confident that justice would prevail in our favor, but the unpredictability of the court system means we must be prepared for any scenario.
In the interest of full disclosure and transparency, I posted the receipt (above) of my payment to Ron Coleman on X, and I'll continue keeping everyone informed about any important updates related to this case.
This is a promise I take extremely seriously because I truly value the support and trust of everyone in this incredible community we've made here.
Unprecedented Community Support
The response to the defense fund has been nothing short of INSANITY. Within less than three hours of tweeting about the campaign, the $25,000 goal was completely smashed.
By the time I uploaded my video explaining the situation, the campaign had already surpassed the halfway mark!
Now, just a few days later, the fund has reached nearly $50,000, doubling the initial goal.
The generosity and support from so many of you has left me... genuinely moved. From countless anonymous donors to YouTube channels of all sizes covering this situation far and wide, the outpouring of solidarity has been overwhelming.
I seriously can't thank you enough. This fight is no longer just about me—and in a weird way, it never really was. It's about standing up for the gaming community and protecting all of our voices that make it thrive.
Transparency and Accountability
To be perfectly clear: Every penny given here will be used responsibly and solely for the purpose of defending not just myself, but the broader gaming community at large from dangerous precedents that could arise if this lawsuit were to somehow succeed. The stakes are high, as frivolous as the suit in itself is on the surface, and I don't take this responsibility lightly. As the case unfolds, I promise to continue to remain honest, transparent, and fully accountable to you for every cent contributed.
While I'm optimistic that the initial $25,000 will cover the costs (for now) — especially if the anti-SLAPP motion is approved and Alyssa’s lawsuit is dismissed outright, which it should be — but lawsuits are inherently unpredictable. With overwhelming support from major content creators and personalities in the gaming sphere, many influencers have advised that I keep the fundraiser active to ensure we’re prepared for any potential escalations, because if that does happen, this could quickly skyrocket... and I don't ever want 'lack of money' to be the reason we lose this battle.
Haters Cope and Seethe Over Funding Success
Defenders of Alyssa Mercante, like Nick Calandra and other even smaller, lesser-known trolls on the internet, have of course predictably taken to social media and their respective YouTube channels to attack the fund and insult YOU, the very people who've donated:
Ironically, this behavior directly mirrors the very issue we're currently fighting against: a gaming industry that continues to spiral, treat its own community with complete disdain.
Their attempts to tear us down never works, but it does get sketchy...
They can keep trying to intimidate, keep crying, and us?
We will keep winning.
A Movement Bigger Than Just Lil' Ol' Me
This lawsuit has sparked something far bigger than I (or anyone for that matter) could've imagined. It’s awakened the beast from within the gaming community. While pathetic losers and detractors will inevitably always try to tear us down, the overwhelming support right here proves to anyone witnessing... that we are STILL winning. This is a movement—a stand against attempts to silence voices in our industry.
To everyone who has supported this cause: thank you. Your generosity and belief in this fight are humbling, and together, we’re showing that the gaming community won’t EVER back down.
Stay tuned for updates as we continue this journey together—and let’s show them the power of a united community.
LFG.
~Smash
