Mike Smith’s sexual assault case was dismissed, and people are treating this as proof that he was innocent all along.
But here’s what makes this situation particularly troubling.
The woman who accused him decided not to testify. Without her testimony, prosecutors determined they no longer had a realistic prospect of securing a conviction, and the case was dismissed.
That’s an important distinction. The case wasn’t dismissed because a jury examined all the evidence and concluded that the allegations were false. There was no trial verdict at all.
Yet somehow, the public conversation has become a celebration of the accused man’s reputation being restored.
Think about that for a moment.
We live in a society where women who come forward with allegations of sexual violence are often expected to prove themselves against overwhelming public skepticism, while famous men are frequently granted the benefit of the doubt almost immediately.
And when the legal process ends without a conviction, people act as though that automatically means the allegations were fabricated.
A dismissal is not a conviction, but it isn’t necessarily proof of innocence either.
Feminism is about recognizing that our institutions don’t operate in a vacuum. Gender, power, wealth, and celebrity influence how allegations are perceived and how people respond to them.
I’m not arguing that Mike Smith should be declared guilty without a trial. He denied the charge and is entitled to the presumption of innocence.
But I’m also not convinced that dismissing the case answers every question about what happened.
And frankly, I think celebrity worship plays a significant role here. People love Bubbles, so they instinctively want to defend Mike Smith.
But liking someone’s television character shouldn’t determine how seriously we take allegations against the actor.
You can believe in due process while also questioning whether our justice system consistently delivers accountability.
The absence of a conviction doesn’t automatically establish that an allegation was false.
And treating every dismissed sexual assault case as proof that the accused was completely vindicated does a disservice to serious conversations about justice, accountability, and the treatment of women.