The curtain has been pulled back. Incredibly damning evidence, if true, in a new bombshell report on Dr. Marie Y. Lemelle’s double life could have serious implications on her legacy and advocacy as a social change activist.
In November 2023, the Social Good Movement Tour kicked off in Los Angeles. Lemelle, the co-founder and global media director, joined forces with global social good thought leader Kristen Thomasino on the Gen Z luring initiative. What Thomasino could not have realized at that time was the double life of Lemelle. The celebrity public relations consultant, also credited as a screenwriter and playwright, has been exposed after substantiated allegations of inappropriate conduct — a development that was not publicly known at the time.
"The substantiated allegations in the Lemelle investigation of a domestic violence victim are not in keeping with the standards of someone who claims to be a social change activist, community activist and or diversity and inclusion activist, as such, upon receiving a credible complaint of Ms. Lemelle’s misconduct in a court News of law, we decided to conduct an investigation and found widespread controversial behavior, and were able to substantiate allegations of bullying and intimidation,” a SoCal Impact spokesperson told Visionaries in Education Summit.
Specifically, the released report unanimously concluded that Ms. Lemelle engaged in a pattern of misconduct by:
- engaging in victimization, humiliation, domination, intimidation, and misrepresentation of the victim;
- engaging in malicious intent to defame, harass, and intimate the victim;
- engaging in intimidation tactics with third parties for transactions, ganging up on the victim;
- engaging in unauthorized efforts to provide confidential information about the victim; and
- violating a domestic violence victim by revictimization.
Investigators reviewed hundreds of investigative files and found that Lemelle possibly engaged in online harassment and cyberstalking where she followed the domestic violence victim on her social media channels.
At the time the investigation was completed in June 2024 Lemelle had approximately seven images of the victim posted on her social media Facebook account.
The report and exhibits detail Lemelle purposefully, intentionally and deliberately published the address of the victim, who is under a permanent court protective order. In June 2023, following the receipt of additional information alleging Ms. Lemelle's misconduct in the Los Angeles Superior Court, the Coalition conducted an investigation.
In addition to other allegations, Ms. Lemelle was alleged to have engaged in a pattern of misconduct, including such actions as:
- Ms. Lemelle, through overt and intentional acts mistreated and violated the victim through inhumane imposing of burdens;
- Ms. Lemelle, through overt and intentional acts mistreated and violated the victim through relentless and unremitting subjection to suffering;
- Ms. Lemelle, through overt and intentional acts mistreated and violated the victim by permitting intimidating predatorily conduct;
- Ms. Lemelle, through overt and intentional acts mistreated and violated the victim by bearing false witness under oath in a court of law against a crime victim who posed no immediate threats; and
- Ms. Lemelle, through overt and intentional acts mistreated and violated the victim through abuse of power.
At the highest level, these are the types of things that inspire us to engage in collective action to bring about change. As difficult as this report is to read, it has been even more painful for domestic violence advocates, whether known or unknown, to recognize the breakdowns in leadership. The investigation found that:
- Ms. Lemelle engaged in a complex pattern of offensive behaviors;
- Ms. Lemelle made disparaging comments about the victim, knowing them to be false statements;
- Ms. Lemelle persisted in a pattern of conduct to follow the victim with the intent to annoy or intimidate the person; and
- Ms. Lemelle engaged in varying tactics to gain and maintain power and control over the victim.
The Coalition has serious concerns about the demeaning of the domestic violence victim by a professional person and community activist claiming publicly to be an advocate for women's rights and girls empowerment. The findings provide further evidence of how victims of violence can be revictimized.
The investigation concluded “the offense was all the more serious because it was committed by a self-professed social change activist, and shameful for somebody who claims to advocate for the empowerment of women locally, nationally, and globally."
Lemelle has been linked to the Cultural Inclusion Foundation and ForbesBLK, a community that amplifies the voices of Black entrepreneurs, professionals, leaders, and creators.
Ms. Lemelle continues to operate the Companies Pitbull PR Agency Inc., Angel City Salute (ACS), Platinum Star Public Relations Inc., and Platinum Star Media Group Inc., a film production and talent management company.
The Social Good Movement Tour website says Lemelle is an instructor and mentor with various organizations. The L.A. Times reported that Lemelle is a former City of Glendale Commissioner for the Commission on the Status of Women.
Important Information
The investigation was based on Los Angeles Superior Court records and more than 60 interviews detailing community history and business affairs of Ms. Lemelle, as well as a pattern of alleged misconduct detailed by community leaders, government personnel, entertainment executives, and Hollywood insiders.
“We have a diverse panel of committee members who led research and appreciate their efforts to seek the truth in support of our work to break these systemic fundamental rights violations that are both widespread and embedded.”
“We appreciate all of the initiatives in support of the activism work to transform the landscape so that it is okay for victims to speak out. By holding our leaders accountable, victims are reclaiming their lives.”
