We’ve all heard of some horrific break-up stories, but this one takes the biscuit.
32-year-old Matthew Herrick is a New York-based actor who met his now-ex boyfriend on the dating app Grindr in 2015.
They have since broke up, but within the last six months, Matthew claims that over 1,000 men have showed up at his home and at his job.
Why are they intruding like this? Well, according to Matthew, they’re looking for sex from him but without any invitation on his part.
Matthew believes that his ex has used his image to create a fake profile on Grindr, and then invited men to his home.
Speaking to CNN, he says that in just one day, 16 men showed up to his home and in some cases, these men became violent when they heard that Matthew’s just wasn’t interested in anything physical.
Matthew claims that he has complained to Grindr over 50 times, but no actions has yet been taken. Subsequently, he is now suing the dating app for their lack of urgency in dealing with the issue.
Talking to Wired, he says: “It’s a living hell. My entire life has been stolen from me. My privacy has been taken from me. I’m humiliated daily.”
He also released a statement on Twitter: “Due to circumstances out of my control I have to remove myself from all social media. I have been having issues with a stalker who has tried and is running my name through the mud. He has now created fake accounts of gay apps such as Grindr and Scruff, declaring me a racist bigot and a Donald Trump supporter.”
He adds: “It has now gone to the media. I will say that I am an avid supporter of the LGBT community and minorities alike. This defamation of character has gone to the extreme. To my family, friends, fans and supporters it saddens my heart to have these kind of lies spread about me. Please know I would never do any such horrible actions.”
A spokesperson for Grindr spoke to CNN about the case: “[We are] committed to creating a safe environment through a system of digital and human screening tools, while also encouraging users to report suspicious and threatening activities. While we are constantly improving upon this process, it is important to remember that Grindr is an open platform. Grindr cooperates with law enforcement on a regular basis and does not condone abusive or violent behaviour.”
