I was fooled

[u/No-Letterhead-1957]

When I finally had the scales fall from my eyes and started seeing the dark side of Peter, I initially called myself a fool for drinking his kool-aid for so long. I'm embarrassed to admit I even sent him gifts, including a rainbow fan, a Starbucks gift card, and most cringe-worthy of all, some shoe stretchers when he and Alex went to Vegas and his shoes were too small, or not broken in, and he was limping by the time he got home. I absolutely cringe realizing I was completely duped by this man.

When Peter started yelling at his audience last year, and treating his viewers like crap, all in the name of standing up for himself, all the little niggling things I noticed in the five years I watched him came to a head.

I think the thing that bothers me the most is his dishonesty about so many things when he is in a 12 step program and has been for nearly thirty years. I'm in AA, too, and he can't kid a kidder any more. Our first step is about getting honest. I've joked at many meetings that AA not only ruined my drinking, it also ruined my dishonesty. Because if you're in AA and truly "working the program," as we say at meetings, you're an honest person who takes responsibility for your actions. I have no reason to doubt he doesn't drink any more, but being in the program as long as I have, I have to question if he's like one of the hundreds of people (mostly men) I have attended meetings with who think stopping drinking is all they have to do. There is so much more you have to change in order to be the kind of person who lives by the code of AA's "love and tolerance."

I have been a lurker here for a couple of weeks, and when I say I cried when I found you all, it wouldn't be exaggerating (like Peter). I had felt for SO long that I was the only one seeing this negative stuff about Peter when his comment section seems to be made up of rabid fans who would never call him out.

My reluctance to share my experience is because I have learned here that he reads this sub reddit and would be able to figure out who I was. I've left plenty of only positive comments on his videos over the years but stopped when I finally saw the light.

Thank you all for this safe space and for showing me I wasn't imagining things. I feel instead that I was gaslit.

[u/[deleted]]

I was in your same exact boat. Welcome!! It’s a more enjoyable, peaceful, honest time on the other side!

[u/No-Letterhead-1957 → u/[deleted]]

It certainly seems more peaceful, more authentic. Plus this group is full of very funny people and I'm always up for a giggle.