new idea – The Robb Demarest Story

I’ve written in previous posts about some of the Demarest women and how I found them. This 2-part series lets them tell their stories in their own words.

It’s not always practical to screenshot the conversations (large chunks of of them reveal too much about their identities), so I’ve mixed them up with quotes from the transcripts.

I’ve picked up the following patterns from these initial conversations –

promises of a future by Demarest
fear of compromising pics leaking out
Demarest’s tendency to go quiet for periods of time
the batch dumping of girlfriends and batch attempts at reigniting relationships
their bewilderment at being dumped for trivial reasons after long courtships

If you’re just catching up, here’s my post outlining these women’s relationships (the date patterns are more obvious there) => The Robb Demarest Relationships Timeline

I’m sticking to the same numerical sequence in referencing the women.

To reiterate, this was how things unfolded –

24 Feb 2016 – Demarest breaks up with me over a minor fight. We had first started dating in 2012 and he would go silent for long periods over the next 4 years, but always came back.

8 March – A former colleague of Demarest contacts me online and tells me about what he knew while filming Haunting Australia in 2013.

The conversation below picks up from my disclosure that I was the person who pitched Haunting:Australia for Demarest; a fact that he had kept secret from his co-stars the whole time. For as long as we were together I didn’t want to push the point about getting sidelined. I wasn’t even allowed to visit him on set and wasn’t invited to the HA wrap party.

I thought he needed the ego boost and adulation of his co-stars to be seen as the guy who successfully secured the show and got them a TV gig. He had, after all, been dumped from Ghost Hunters International previously and had had no luck getting any of his projects off the ground until I came along.

Now that we’d split up, I had no problem telling it like it is. Anyone who researches the production company that made HA would know their genre is food, which is how I had a pre-existing relationship with them.

ian1

This was the first mention of another girlfriend – Woman #3.

According to this person, Woman #3 got in touch with a number of people during Haunting:Australia because he had gone silent.

He continued –

He’s just dumped her about a month ago! But was seeing her when we was in OZ so she said. I told her he was ment (sp) to be with you! At the time! She was shocked as he was ment (sp) to be with her! All very messy…

Me – Did you tell her who I was?

(…)

Yes! I said I had met you and you was a stunning person! But at the time I don’t think she believed me.

(…)

Talk to her babe she’s a nice girl X

(NB. Woman #3 would later tell me they broke up 4 months ago as opposed to “a month ago” per this person’s account; it doesn’t matter in this sequence but I’m pedantic.)

And then this – first mention of Demarest with one of the women in the show’s production (Woman #5)

Because of my involvement with pitching Haunting:Australia, I had been FB friends with Woman #5 since 2013 with neither of us aware we were both dating him.

Woman #5

I confronted Woman #5 on FB. (Yes, I was pretty blunt – I was still in shock about the revelations.)

A long phone conversation followed, during which Woman #5 said Demarest also promised a future with her, wanted her to have his baby, etc.

She had heard from him after a long silence, on Feb 26 – ie. 2 days after he broke up with me. In that conversation he had wanted to reignite their relationship but she said no.

She recently found out that during his last trip with her in 2015, he had met another woman and had been private messaging and asking her for nude pics as well.

Unfortunately for him, this woman already had a boyfriend so she told some mutual friends who passed on the information to Woman #5.

Woman #5 about a sex tape –

This was as well as photos he had of her. Despite the reassurance, woman #5 ultimately decided against going public because of her children and career.

Woman #3

I then contacted Woman #3 on Instagram and this was part of the conversation –

Woman #3 – I was with Robb for like 2.5 years…He told me the exact same things about a future together etc. I fell for it. I feel so stupid now…

About pics & being dumped by Demarest –

(NB not that it would have deterred me, but the reality is Demarest doesn’t really have any photos of mine that are that revealing; you’d see more skin on any Australian beach.)

About not tagging him on social media and about going to Florida –

Woman #4

I’ve already written about the next woman, ie. Woman #4 => I Know Another Woman – whose friend contacted me within 24 hours of my social media shares. As she’s requested high confidentiality, I won’t even share any of her transcripts.

According to her, she was dumped in November 2015 after 2.5 years though he continued to chase for nude pics (which she refused) as recently as February 2016. She was one of the most badly affected emotionally from his behaviour.

It was only since the story broke that she started putting the missing pieces together and is now on her way to rebuilding her self-worth.

Woman #6

Woman #6 got in touch with me the same night I heard from Woman #4 –

About a future together, and pics –

Woman #6 never got to meet up with Demarest despite numerous attempts –

This was the same story told by Woman #3 and Woman #4 – he always found a way to prevent them meeting him in Florida – which made us suspect there was another woman there.

Like Woman #4, Woman #6 constantly questioned Demarest about whether there were other women – and he always denied it. This was one instance –

https://clyp.it/5oiul4rh

The breakup, when she found he was about to fly out to meet with a woman in Portland, December 2015 –

Despite being the one to break it off, Woman #6 could not understand why Demarest did not try harder to explain himself or to make contact (eg. by phone or email). Finding my story online was what gave her some resolution.

This was what she had to say about it (and about the flak I was getting from cyber crybabies saying I should shut up and move on with my life) –

They can’t relate to us. They don’t know the mental manipulation and the mind games he plays. I didn’t lose 55 pounds from diet and working out…. I was mentally tormented. Robb did a number on me mentally. I thought breaking things off was the worst mistake I ever made…. It wasn’t and now I have some relief.

I can’t emphasize enough the hit on the women’s self-worth to be so disposable after long-term relationships with Demarest. It didn’t make sense until after the story broke and they realised it was because he had several women on the go at the same time.

Next up – the rest of the women.

I’ll never forget those words.

Let’s backtrack to two days before.

On 27 March 2016, I sent out this email to my mailing list. The story was due to break the next morning –

——————————————

, on Easter Monday, New Idea Magazine will feature an interview with me – and it has NOTHING to do with food or cooking.

I’m sorry the rest of this email sounds vague – there’s a reason for this – which I’ll reveal in the coming days.

You see, I’ve been keeping a secret for nearly 4 ½ years but have decided to come forward because of some new information that was given to me earlier this month.

I wish I had this information when I did an internet search back when this started; it would have saved me from all that has ensued. That’s why I’m speaking out – I believe it is important that other potential victims are warned about it.

I’ve given a mountain of evidence to New Idea to back up my story, and it’s been vetted by their lawyers.

Depending on the kind of blowback I get once the story breaks, I will release the evidence online to defend myself.

I will speak a lot more about it after the first 48 hours of the story coming out – and will fill in the gaps for you.

I want you to know that but for the fact that it affects other people (and will continue to do so), I would never have spoken out. In fact, most people I’ve talked to think I should keep quiet because they think it’ll damage my reputation and disrupt my life, so please don’t think this is about publicity.

This is not the sort of spotlight I relish – I’d much rather be known for my food and my Down Syndrome advocacy.

If you’re in Australia, please pick up a copy of Easter Monday’s New Idea. Once you’ve read it, if you decide to stand with me, please share the story with everyone you know and every media outlet you have access to.

Thank you , from the bottom of my heart. I appreciate your support.

Jackie M.

My email subscribers are meant to be my most loyal followers. I like to keep it fairly exclusive; rather than try to push hard for subscribers, I’ve been known to delete annoying people from it.

I hate showing vulnerability; that had been a tough email to write.

This was the first reply to hit my Inbox –

Peter – Please remove me from this conversation. I don’t indulge in gossip, I’m only interested in your food.

Me – Based on your response I’ve deleted you from my subscriber list.

Peter – That was a bit petulant.

Me – I would say the same about you.

Peter – You’ve just lost a fan.

Me – Trust me, it’s not a loss.

(As you can see, I’m real mature.)

I found out after that interaction, that Peter was that same creepy guy who had commented on too many of my social media posts for months. Contrary to his high email horse, they weren’t always food-related either. Weirdo.

After that inauspicious start to my campaign, I wasn’t sure what to expect. At the time the New Idea story broke, there were only 3 known women, including myself.

I ploughed on with this post on my website (since updated), and shared it on social media.-

http://jackiem.com.au/2016/03/28/new-idea-magazine-story/

Again, more negativity.

In response, I wrote my first post at Medium.com/@JackieM – “Did he say this to you? Then you’re not special.”

And…BINGO!

That same night, I received this message from a stranger – a man from halfway across the world –

I know another woman. A mother. I am sharing this with her. (…)

I think she needs to know this.

Thank you for sharing. This could not have been easy and I am very sorry for all that have been impacted.

My friend will be upset. (…)

I am so sorry. Men should honour women. Especially mums….

Mar 29 · Sent from Mobile

I just about fell off my chair. My decision to come forward had been vindicated.

Our conversation continued like this (with parts redacted for brevity and confidentiality)-

(…)

Man – So she is number 4 out of what appears to be many. Wow…

Jackie M. – Yes.

Man – She will kill him

Jackie M. – I would kill him myself.

Man – She cannot go public. That’s her fear.

Jackie M. – I understand. Same with the other two women.(…)

Man – Wow.

Jackie M. – He’ll soon learn he f*cked the wrong woman.

Man – Amen. Good luck to you all

Woman #4 got in touch with me after my initial exchanges with her friend. We continue to communicate to this day.

Tag: new idea