He then follows with apologies to his fans, supporters, and family, and offers praise for his former co-workers.

In another controversial section of the letter, entitled “No Excuses,” Kricfalusi says that he was recently diagnosed with bipolar disorder and ADHD, which he says “makes it almost impossible to control your impulses and obsessions.” He writes that at the time of the Buzzfeed article, he was preparing to start a new studio and new series, but “now that this article has come out, I imagine it is not to be.”

The letter triggered a swift and angry reaction, not only from Kricfalusi’s victims, but also from others on social media. One of the victims, Robyn Byrd, commented on Kricfalusi’s Facebook post:

I don’t find any apology strong or heartfelt enough for taking away a person’s adolescent motivation, her hopes to be an artist, and her sexual agency…We don’t accept this non-apology, neither do any of the other girls he doesn’t bother to mention, and it’s a big pile of manipulative crap. There you go.

On Twitter, Byrd followed up with a series of tweets that told a story that did not appear in the original Buzzfeed piece, about how she had an abortion at the age of 18 while carrying Kricfalusi’s child, and how she was picked up at the abortion clinic by Kricfalusi’s employee Steve Worth, who she describes as “the last person you would ever want to come pick you up from such a life event.”

This prob will get cut from interviews I did so I will share a lil thread: I had an abortion when I was 18. I was pregnant by #johnk. Was a tough thing bc the Dr told me the fetus was not viable bc of intense meds I was taking. Mixed feelings that the decision was made for me https://t.co/mhDBnSmIFq — Robyn Byrd (@TopographicFish) May 11, 2018

But eventually we knew we had to do the abortion. He could have afforded to send me somewhere, but I went to a free clinic, and he set it up. It was 1999, and the place was less than comfortable and welcoming. — Robyn Byrd (@TopographicFish) May 11, 2018

John sent Steve Worth to come pick me up. The last person you would ever want to come pick you up from such a life event. He took me home in his beat-up pickup truck as I was bleeding & confused and had a slight euphoria that I couldn't explain. — Robyn Byrd (@TopographicFish) May 11, 2018

This is not to say that anyone has to be sad for having an abortion. But I was depressed. It is a very good thing that I didn't have that baby, because God knows what my life would be like now. Instead I have two perfect kids who I wanted completely — Robyn Byrd (@TopographicFish) May 11, 2018

I share this TMI: 1) to show it's okay to have an abortion and to talk about it 2) to add to the record a story about John K that may never appear anywhere in print, or in the on-camera interviews I did. And this kind of attitude from men probably extends to other people — Robyn Byrd (@TopographicFish) May 11, 2018

Katie Rice was also disappointed by Kricfalusi’s attempt to reminisce in the apology, writing on Facebook:

Since we’re doing show and tell, maybe I should share some more of the stuff I’ve got from back then.

One of the key criticisms of the apology was how Kricfalusi used his medical conditions as an excuse for inappropriate behavior. Steven McVey wrote on Facebook:

Way to add to the stigma that the rest of us in the bipolar community already face. Your depression and ADD didn’t cause you to pursue romantic relationships with adolescent girls. Your power and sense of entitlement did. Most of us bipolar folks don’t hurt anyone other than maybe ourselves, but we all have to walk around in a world that thinks we’re dangerous, in large part because of people like you who blame their bad acts on their mental illness. You knew what you were doing was wrong, but you did it anyway because you thought your power and privelege [sic] would protect you. Stop throwing the bipolar community under the bus because you can’t control yourself.

Others like Adele K. Thomas cited the oddity of Kricfalusi recalling the “good times” when in fact neither Byrd nor Rice recall their experiences with Kricfalusi fondly:

John, I have to say that I think you should have kept this private and sent it to Robyn and Katie directly, and let them choose how to deal with it. But it isn’t a proper apology… You recalling all the “good times” for you, are not good times for them looking back. They would look back on these and cringe because it is from a dark time in their life. I myself read this and it comes over like you are trying to talk to a child and groom them back to happy times, to forget the bad times. No. That isn’t how you help people heal. You need to accept responsibility and give a simple apology. And one which doesn’t use self excuses. Yes, you like many have gone through mental issues, I have too. Its a shame to hear you did and working through it, but it can’t be the reason to lean on. You just admit what you did was wrong and direct it to the victims.

Doug Shiro labeled the apology “creepy”:

Dude this is nothing but creepy. Please. Sit back and read over this again. Realize that those “good times” were not normal. They were between a grown dude and some young girls with absolutely no relation nor family-based friendship with you and that is so terribly terribly wrong. Even if you had shared nothing but normal positive behavior, those girls would still look back and cringe at the fact that they were young girls hanging out with a man give or take twice their age, and if I’ve understood correctly, they did it because they respected your work as an artist and wanted to get good jobs in art. Not because they wanted to be your friend and certainly not your lover. Even if their minds couldn’t figure it out any better at the ages they were back then.

The apology also unleashed negative reactions across Twitter:

That whole post is highly manipulative. Remember he was nearly twice the age of these women, and they were literally children when their correspondence began. — Megan Nicole Dong @TCAF 238 (@sketchshark) May 12, 2018

(Semi-related: #johnk's garbage apology manages to be utterly self-serving, rage-inducing, and FUCKING CREEPY AS SHIT all at once. Ugh. All my love and support to @katiejrice and @TopographicFish. I need eye bleach.) — Anne Walker Farrell (@lemurmcfemur) May 12, 2018

So John K's 'apology' is just a blatantly public attempt to emotionally manipulate the women he hurt with "hey remember this good thing, remember this?" I'm floored. Just…why. — Vivienne M. (@VivziePop) May 12, 2018

How *dare* he use their artwork and "memories" to try to imply that they had a fun friendship that's suddenly been misinterpreted?!? It breaks my heart to see their drawings in his shitty word doc of lies. — Audrey (@GreenFrieda) May 12, 2018

John K's apology is pretty fucking weird. It feels less like an apology and more like a trip down memory lane with him trying to gain sympathy with it. It also has a LOT of typos. He also later says there's no excuse for what he did but then talks about having depression. — Zach-🅱ilbo (@smokesterify) May 12, 2018

That John K apology might be the worst I’ve heard from the #MeToo movement to date. He says he and the Spongebob team are the most revolutionary animators to date. It’s weeeeird — The ASMR Cockroach (@AlexFirer) May 12, 2018

As for John K., he can take his apology and eat it. What a piece of hot trash. As for anyone still showing support for him? There's no way I can look at you with any kind of respect. He's not a genius, he's garbage. — José Angel 🐙 (@Gastlichu) May 12, 2018

Kricfalusi’s apology can be read in its entirety below: