Post by BrucePeople who are like you are innocent and people who are not like you
are guilty. Right?
Take a look at the subsidiary damage even without show trials, you
gossipy old maid:
https://www.mashed.com/1497589/jeff-smith-behind-the-scenes-the-frugal-gourmet/
The chef that the show hired in 1986 to be Smith's assistant was Craig
Wollam. Wollam joined in the show's fourth year. Once he started
collaborating with Smith, the recipes on the show were less of a
hit-or-miss affair. In addition to helping Smith with the show, Wollom
co-authored two cookbooks with him: "The Frugal Gourmet Whole Family
Cookbook" and "The Frugal Gourmet's Culinary Handbook."
While his on-screen persona was mainly lighthearted and fun-loving,
there was another side to Jeff Smith. Those who knew and worked with him
regularly saw different sides of him than the camera saw on "The Frugal
Gourmet."
Smith bossed his assistant, Chef Craig Wollam, around on screen, and
some fans have wondered how that translated off-screen. What you heard
about Smith depended on who you asked. A chef who helped him for a
single season found him friendly and easy to get along with. Another
friend who once appeared on his show found him supportive. However, if
you asked his film crew, they'd tell you he was easily irritated. Others
just found him plain condescending.
Smith admitted to sometimes letting his emotions run high. He explained
his susceptibility to being cranky by saying, "My emotions are always on
the surface, and I'm not embarrassed by that. I think it's the only way
I can prevent ulcers"
"The Frugal Gourmet" ended in 1997 after allegations that Jeff Smith had
sexually molested around 20 teen boys and young men, reports
Current.org. Most happened in the 1970s when Smith (then a Methodist
minister) employed several teen boys at a deli and catering service in
Tacoma, Washington, called The Chaplain's Pantry. Another claimed Smith
sexually abused him after picking him up as a hitchhiker in 1992.
Sources vary about whether the hitchhiker was a teen or an adult,
according to the Washington Post. Most of his accusers mentioned
alcohol, secrecy, and a grooming process at the hands of someone they
had trusted. When reporters started digging around, they found that
there had been rumors around Tacoma about Smith for years.
The first to speak out publicly was Clint Smith, who started talking to
reporters in 1993 and finally got a spot on a local radio show to accuse
Jeff Smith of pedophilia in 1995. Clint claimed that Jeff had started
paying him a settlement to keep quiet back in 1991 but stopped paying.
Everything snowballed after the radio show, with another of Smith's
alleged victims hearing the broadcast and coming forward. By 1997, there
were two separate lawsuits.
While Smith maintained his innocence, he settled with seven of the men
who sued him rather than go to trial in 1998. Smith initially wanted to
continue "The Frugal Gourmet" franchise, but he apparently never found
an underwriter willing to take him on after all the controversy.
Even though Jeff Smith's legal situation had no connection to his chef,
Craig Wollam, Wollam found himself with his own legal troubles. When
"The Frugal Gourmet" ended, Wollam found himself in court trying to
adjust his child support situation. He had originally been paying $2,000
per month to support his three-year-old son, but he petitioned to change
it to $352 per month since his income had significantly decreased
because he was laid off from the show.
Even though "The Frugal Gourmet" had well and truly ended, Wollom had
difficulty convincing the court that he wasn't voluntarily unemployed or
voluntarily underemployed. His son's mom tried to show evidence that
Wollom was still getting money from "The Frugal Gourmet" and still had
enough income to keep paying.
Things dragged on for years, with documents not being filed on time,
lost files, and incurred court fees. Wollam's lawyer was even almost
disbarred for failing to pay money to the court related to the case.
Read More:
https://www.mashed.com/1497589/jeff-smith-behind-the-scenes-the-frugal-gourmet/
