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Credit: The Jim Henson CompanySince 1955, fans have been in love with Jim Henson and his Muppets. Characters like Kermit the Frog, Miss Piggy, Gonzo, Fozzie Bear, the Swedish Chef, Dr. Bunsen Honeydew, Beaker, and more all hold a special place in our hearts.
They have been in more than a dozen films and television shows, including The Great Muppet Caper (1981), The Muppet Christmas Carol (1992), Muppet Treasure Island (1996), and Muppets Most Wanted (2014), just to name a few. The Muppets have also made more than a few songs we will never forget.
The Muppets bring so much magic that it’s hard to think they would ever be associated with anything negative. But sadly, that is exactly what has happened, and fans are shocked.
Related: Piece of Jim Henson History Sold to Singing Superstar
Over the years, The Muppets History account has created a massive social following. Fans love the fun facts and pieces of Muppet history that the account shares. Muppets History is considered one of the best accounts for Muppets fans to follow on both X and Instagram, where it has a combined total of nearly 800,000.
But on Monday, December 2, the typically lighthearted page took a more serious tone, addressing “concerns” that had come about. The post continued to apologize for boundaries being crossed, but specifics were not mentioned.
Good Evening
We wanted to take a moment to address some concerns that have arisen as of late. Before we dive into these concerns, we want to thank you for your continued support and encouragement. We acknowledge that we are human and have made mistakes in the past,
We are always striving to learn and grow and appreciate your understanding and grace. We extend our thanks to those who hold us accountable. This community is near and dear to our hearts and we hope to foster and embody the principles of Jim Henson in our words and actions.
Therefore, we extend our most sincere apologies to those whom we have hurt, either through this platform or personal platforms. There has been a series in which boundaries with friends and viewers through messaging were overstepped. To the people who have been made uncomfortable by these actions we have only ourselves to blame and ask for your forgiveness.
In building this community we have been overly protective, confusing fellow fan accounts for competition.
We have not properly intervened when members in our own community have caused harm in defending our name. We have overstepped boundaries and ignored the hurt it caused. We cannot take back what has been said and we do not offer this apology with expectations that you will accept it solely on our word.
We will be taking a step away from posting personal content on this platform over the next few weeks to reflect on our next steps forward in bettering ourselves. This community deserves only the best.
We understand that actions speak louder. And we hope that one day we can regain your trust.– Joshua and Holly
Good Evening
We wanted to take a moment to address some concerns that have arisen as of late. Before we dive into these concerns, we want to thank you for your continued support and encouragement. We acknowledge that we are human and have made mistakes in the past,
We are…
— Muppet History (@HistoryMuppet) December 2, 2024
When the post first went up, fans were confused about what exactly the page was talking about. However, before long, it was revealed that Joshua had been sending private messages to various women, many of whom felt he crossed boundaries and was sexually harassing them. What made things even worse is that Holly is Josh’s wife.
The attacks continued as the message was criticized for being intentionally vague and not apologizing for anything specific. This led Joshua to post a second message. In that message, he admitted to crossing boundaries for years.
He ended the tweet by announcing that the page would be closing down, most likely permanently.
Throughout my life I have overstepped boundaries in friendships and relationships through lies, manipulation, and sexually inappropriate comments. I own all of that.
My previous excuse for an apology did not address the situation with the seriousness or accountability that it deserved, it was rushed out, and dismissed the voices trying to be heard. And for that I apologize. I deflected and made excuses instead of taking responsibility.
Holly is not to blame in this. She was only defending me because she loves me and is about as defensive for her loved ones as you can get. She wasn’t aware of the truth in the situation. I have explained to her what happened, and that I betrayed her love and trust. There is nobody to blame but myself.
I am scheduled to begin seeing a therapist next week, not only so I can repair the relationship that I damaged, but so that I can one day be a better person. And I plan to seek out any other psychological treatment I need.
I’m sorry to everyone who has ever been affected by my behavior, and I’m sorry to those that I have hurt and let down as they learn of this situation.
For the foreseeable future Muppet History is ending, as I step away to receive professional help and work to improve myself. The page will not be receiving a new owner.
I am sorry for the damage I have caused. But I promise you that there are so many wonderful and creative people in this community who can brighten your day and inspire you. Please seek them out and give them the love they deserve. – Joshua
Throughout my life I have overstepped boundaries in friendships and relationships through lies, manipulation, and sexually inappropriate comments. I own all of that.
My previous excuse for an apology did not address the situation with the seriousness or accountability that it…
— Muppet History (@HistoryMuppet) December 5, 2024
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What made this particularly upsetting to many was the fact that the diehard Muppet fandom is relatively small, meaning that many people know someone affected by Joshua’s sexual harassment.
But the page was much more than just a fandom for everyday folks. There are a number of celebrities who also show their love for the Muppets by following the page.
The years of harassment came to a head when Megan Maloney, a fellow Muppets fan, received sexually charged comments from Joshua on Instagram via the Muppets History account.Megan told The Verge that she tried to laugh them off at first, but as they became more overtly sexual, she shared them with a small group of friends.
Megan says that the “floodgates” opened after she shared her screenshots, learning many more women to come forward.
Sexual harassment is never okay. If you are being harassed online, please reach out to site moderators. If things do not improve, you can go to your local police office and report what is happening.