White creator accused of publishing beneath faux Latin American alias
The publishing industry is stirring with yet another controversy – as a white author who ‘pretended to be a person of color’ after being accused of hurling racist ‘abuse’ at other writers is suspected to be publishing works under another alias.
It has sparked comparisons to the hit book by RF Kuang on BookTok – where a white author steals an Asian writer’s manuscript – a novelist is under suspicion of co-opting a different identity to avoid being linked to their disgraced past.
The scandal goes back as far as 2020, when fantasy author Taylor Barton, 32, from Oregon (who also went by Taylor Brooke) allegedly bullied people on the basis of their race, many of whom came forward on social media, Fanficable reported.
Taylor, who is non-binary and is understood to go by they/she pronouns, had admitted to ‘making mistakes’ in an online apology, according to the outlet.
‘I’m learning, growing and taking steps to interrogate my own internalized racism. Anger has always been my shield, but vulnerability is the only way I will ever learn to grow,’ Taylor penned.
The scandal goes back as far as 2020, when fantasy author Taylor Barton (pictured), 32, from Oregon , allegedly bullied people on the basis of their race, many of whom came forward on social media, Fanficable reported
They added that they’re ‘actively reaching out to those they’ve hurt with apologies’ as well as ‘stepping back, listening to critique from their community, and doing the work to become a better person’.
The writer then revealed they would be making a one time $500 donation to The Trevor Project – an LGBT charity – and promised all future royalties earned from their book The Ninth Life will go to the organization as well.
At the time, many were confused by Taylor not specifically targeting a Black-owned initiative as part of their apology message, which was also widely badly received.
Shortly after, their publisher dropped The Ninth Life and Full Moon in Leo – the latter being written under Taylor’s other pseudonym, Brooklyn Ray – and their agent also terminated their relationship with the writer.
However, as reported by Fanficable, only days later, Taylor – on their Brooklyn Ray account – appeared to go back on the apology, claiming they only issued the statement because ‘their team asked them to’ and ‘because they wanted to move on’ and ‘make amends’.
However, they wrote, ‘”hurt feelings” is not abuse’.
When challenged by posters who said multiple people came forward to claim they were treated poorly, Taylor (as Brooklyn) claimed they ‘don’t give a f**k’ about whether they have ‘support’ or not.
Brooklyn then said that people should ‘show this abuse they’re talking about’ – while others doubled down that ‘victims do not have to prove their abuse to their abusers’.
However, by December of that year, a new fantasy author – by the name of Jupiter Wyse (pictured) – was on the scene
Much like Taylor, they identified as queer – but unlike Taylor, they claimed to be ‘Latinx’ – and even talked about this in length on social media
In a bid for privacy, the author in June 25, 2020 wrote: ‘I’m just trying to pay my bills. I’m just trying to save the substantial income I just lost, so I can stay in my apartment, feed my pets, pay for my medication and survive.
‘I’m not asking for anyone to support me. But god damn, please just leave me alone.’
However, by December of that year, a new fantasy author – by the name of Jupiter Wyse – was on the scene.
Much like Taylor, they identified as queer – but unlike Taylor, they claimed to be ‘Latinx’ – and even talked about this in length on social media.
Furthermore, they also claimed to specifically be a ‘person of colour’.
‘As a diaspora, monolingual latinx person – this is really important to remember. I use Spanish in my books a lot but I use it in ways I’m used to,’ they wrote in one post recounted by YouTuber withcindy.
‘Little phrases. Familial words. Stolen pieces of a culture and language I’m still learning and finding.’
And Cindy explained that it went beyond the rhetoric Jupiter co-opted as they leaned into a ‘Latinx’ identity
In another, Jupiter slammed publishing’s treatment of ‘Latinx/Hispanic’ writers, claiming: ‘We’re out here fighting an industry where our existence [is] debated at every single turn’.
Jupiter also took part in a social media publishing event aimed at helping Latinx writers find agent representation.
And Cindy explained that it went beyond the rhetoric Jupiter co-opted.
‘They also really narrow down on this new identity by using dark skin emojis,’ the YouTuber explained.
‘Choosing a dark skin avatar and posting content that implied that they were culturally Latinx like a shot of Abuelita hot chocolate and a photo of their face covered by a sugar skull bandana.’
People who knew Taylor have online said that they had never spoken about having Latin American heritage and only claimed to be European.
But as described in Cindy’s video, social media users soon began speculating that Jupiter was the same person as Taylor by comparing photos posted on the former’s profile – and even comparing their astrological charts (which were identical).
‘Jupiter’s’ agent at the time, Tara Gilbert eventually dropped the author, writing on X in March 2021: ‘I recently found out my client Jupiter Wyse lied to me about their identity (see thread below). Long story short, when I offered rep and they didn’t want to speak by video because of dysmorphia, I wanted to respect that. I’m a huge advocate for mental health.
‘And personal security. I would never violate my clients by forcing them to do something they were uncomfortable with. Unfortunately, that also gave Jupiter/Taylor the perfect opportunity to lie to me. Not only about who they are but about.
‘Their publishing history. Never once did the names Taylor Barton or Brooklyn Rae come up when I signed them. I’m heartbroken and shocked by this. Thank you to all the people who reached out to me and brought this to my attention. I have terminated my partnership with them.’
Three years later, yet another queer and ‘Latinx’-identifying author is accused of being a creation of Taylor’s. As reported by Lit Hub, Freydís Moon emerged on the scene in 2022.
Writer Elle Porter compiled an X thread – and a 69 page Google doc filled with screenshot – to make a case that Freydís is yet another persona of Taylor’s.
Three years later, yet another queer and ‘Latinx’-identifying author is accused of being a creation of Taylor’s. As reported by Lit Hub , Freydís Moon emerged on the scene in 2022
Evidence suggested by the writer includes snippets of works in progress that look near word for word identical to documents shared by Jupiter Wyse’s accounts years ago.
Elle also recounted confronting Freydís about the discoveries, which appeared to prompt confused and baffled reactions from the author.
According to Elle and Lit Hub, Freydís has continually denied any association to Taylor.
MailOnline has reached out to Freydís Moon for comment, who refused to directly deny that they are Taylor B. Barton/Taylor Brooke/Brooklyn Ray, stating that their identity is ‘irrelevant’.
However, when asked how they feel about the furore and fallout of the controversy, Freydís said they find ‘cancel-happy behavior’ to be ‘dangerous, unnecessary, and toxic trend in the publishing industry’.
‘Many, many creatives have been policed, unfairly and unjustly demonized, and have lost careers due to rampant, widespread, and strategic “social justice” takedowns,’ they continued.
‘In an attempt to “protect” their communities, the faceless—typically nameless—accounts leading these charges and instigating these online dogpiles have done nothing more than attack and destabilize vulnerable people on the basis of exaggerated evidence, entirely false allegations, or petty grievances.
‘While this is a setback for me, and I’ve certainly lost income and readers, I will still continue to publish, rebuild, and write good stories.’
Freydís’s current bio on Instagram does not state they are ‘Latinx’, but their pronouns are listed as ‘they/él/ella’.
