Silicon With Adam Savage announced tickets for an exclusive one-on-one video chat with Adam Savage in early September. Available in two-minute sessions for $100 USD each, up to a maximum of five sessions (ten minutes) for $500 USD. After the first three tickets sold out in 48 hours, the organizers added another 20 tickets to meet the demand. But I came across something even more disturbing than questionable ticket prices while researching today’s topic.

According to People Magazine on June 30, 2020, Savage’s younger sister, Miranda Pacchiana, filed a civil lawsuit that he sexually abused her when they were young children. Savage denied the allegations and accused his sister of pursuing “a financial bonanza”.A lawsuit like this in the era of hashtag me too is usually the kiss of death for the male personality and anything he’s associated with.

What does this sexual abuse lawsuit mean for Silicon Valley With Adam Savage?

What She Said

Miranda Pacchiana accuses Savage of sexually abusing her from 1976 to 1979 in Sleepy Hollow, New York. She was 7 to 10 years old, and he was 9 to 12 years old. I’m going to spare you details of what allegedly happened between them.

The New York Child Victims Act allows survivors of childhood sexual abuse to file a lawsuit against their abusers. A special one-year extension waives the statute of limitations for any victim to file a civil lawsuit for monetary damages. Because of the coronavirus pandemic, the extension got an extension and now expires in January 2021. That was the only remedy that Pacchiana has under the law.

She said this in her blog post (see update below) on The Second Wound.

At least one in 6 boys and one in 4 girls will be sexually abused before age 18. We must do a better job of protecting children, starting by holding more abusers accountable. This happened to me. Statistically, it happened to someone you know. Maybe even someone in your family.  It’s time to tell.

That is why I’m here today. The public needs to know that Adam Savage sexually abused me when I was a child, as set forth in the lawsuit that I have finally been able to bring after all of these years. As a survivor and advocate for victims, I am determined to shine a light on the truth.

What He Said

Savage has been quite vocal about denying the allegations and accused his sister of filing the lawsuit for financial gain.No apologies for the alleged behavior. No downplaying of the allegations. A straight up denial and a counter accusation. Even more surprising that their mother came out for him and against her.

He said this in a statement via his lawyer:

While I hope that my sister gets the help she needs to find peace, this needs to end. For many years, she has relentlessly and falsely attacked me and other members of my family to anyone who will listen.

By spreading numerous untrue stories about us in pursuit of a financial bonanza, she has tortured our entire family and estranged herself from all of us. I will fight this groundless and offensive lawsuit and work to put this to rest once and for all.

What Does This Mean

What does this mean for Silicon Valley With Adam Savage?

In the short term, probably nothing. The lawsuit announcement was a one-day sensation that failed to gain traction. The “she said, he said” nature of the lawsuit means everyone will have to wait until the court proceedings are underway. Which may not happen for another year or two.

In the long term, the organizers may find themselves in the same boat as Silicon Valley Comic Con. Stan Lee and Steve Wozniak were the faces of SVCC. Everything was fine in 2016 and 2017, but suffered a black eye in 2018.

• Stan Lee showed up sick for autographs after he previously cancelled a string of comic con appearances.
• Dealers paid $10,000 USD to have 400 comic books autographed by Lee while fans waited hours in line.
• Steve Wozniak flew in from Germany on Friday evening and flew out to Philadelphia on Sunday afternoon with only the briefest appearances at his own show.

While Wozniak carried on without Lee in 2019, it became the last show for Silicon Valley Comic Con.

If the lawsuit does ruin Savage, the organizers will have to drop him and start all over again.

If you really need to talk to Adam Savage—and got the money to blow out the wahzoo—knock yourself out. But don’t waste your time asking him about the lawsuit. According to the website, the “talent” decides which questions to answer. At $50 USD per minute, you might be better off using the money for something else.