Advice needed -derogatory private comment about a well known[..]

viola

viola

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This might be a little convoluted so please bear with me...

Some time ago I wrote a blog post mentioning an internationally renowned trainer. I have never personally met that trainer but it's a person most horse people would have heard of in one way or another.

Recently, someone claiming to be a very close family of that trainer left a rather derogatory comment to that blog post sharing various "inside" information from trainer's past (private & work related) and questioning some of the trainer's achievements claiming plagiarism.

I have comment moderation enabled on my blog so have not posted the comment, mostly out of respect to the trainer but also because I don't like indulging in someone's desire for drama-making. Person commenting mentioned that they guess the comment would not be published...

It happened a couple of weeks ago and I find myself thinking about it and wondering whether I should contact trainer in question and pass on the comment's content. Equally, I usually stay well away from this sort of 'he said that she said that he said" waste of life so part of me wants to just move on.

So I wonder, what would you do? Would you think it might be valuable for the trainer to know someone is spreading some rumours about them or should I just forget about it?
Would you personally like to know about various derogatory comments being made about your work or would you assume it's just part of being well-known...?

Thank you for your views!
 
I would let it go.
If you had a super marvellous comment about them, would you draw their attention to it? I'm guessing probably not, so let the crappy comments go too.
 
Speaking personally I would stay well out of it as you don't know all the circumstances and you could be opening a can of worms. You did the right thing but I would forget it now as getting too involved in this situation could come back and 'bite you on the bum' however well intentioned your motives.
 
Considering they wrote it on your blog page hoping you might publish it (yes, I know they said they didn't think you would, but the fact that it was posted at all was an opportunistic attempt to air their views), you could tell said trainer that, as a result of your blog, you have received some information libelling them. You could then ask the trainer if they wished to receive this information or not. It is then up to the trainer if he/she wishes to take action.

Had you published this information and the trainer seen it, in my recent experience of a libel case, both you and the poster could be held accountable.
 
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