Editor, producer, videographer, skateboarder Richie Valdez, known to some within the skate industry for his work at Welcome Skateboards, Street League, being Jamie Thomas' Warsaw footwear bitch or whatever and something to do with the band Health, in addition to this struggle bus of a resume, was recently revealed as the new editor of the popular skateboarding podcast, The Bunt.
Love those Bunt guys, now that we got the SEO out of the way, the story goes like this:
One time, Mr. Valdez was on a first Tinder date and fumbled the whole deal by talking shit about myself and Chris Nieratko to a woman Chris and I are friends with.
Mainly too inconsequential to speak of, I'd never uttered a negative word about Richie and never had reason to. We talked several times at events over the years, and we got along and had some music taste in common. It was always cool.
In 2022, I welcomed him with open arms and enthusiasm when he was brought onto a documentary project I was part of with some very well-known skate filmmakers. I was genuinely stoked for him to be on board, and I expressed that to Richie and the rest of the crew.
I think he logged footage, for a little while—then was no longer needed or asked back (to the best of my knowledge) after I shared this incident with the rest of the squad.
So, I guess there were two fumbles now that I think about it—the girl and the documentary. Real winner shit.
But you know how these short guys are. Insecure little dorks with a big chip and a lot to try and prove with their words. So, I guess Richard felt cool trashing me and Niertako, who, amusingly, actually had no clue who Richie was when I spoke to him about the incident.
So on his Tinder date, Richie told my friend that I didn't deserve the be the writer or have a “writer” credit on the film and that I didn't contribute much. This, after I put six years and about 500 hours into the project. I wrote treatments, pitches, storylines, conducted hundreds of hours of interviews, travelled all over the country, sat in editing meetings helping shape the narrative of the film, and dug up and shared my own archival footage, interviews and magazine scans … in fact, my role far exceeded that of just a “writer”. Oddly, Richie was well aware of a lot of this while logging footage of me conducting interviews, so I'm not sure at what point he decided my contributions were nil, and why.
Without studio lighting and photoshop
I mean, it was a pretty fucking bold take considering this dude was basically an intern for a few weeks, brought on in year six of the film and should have been blowing the dudes for the opportunity they gave his dusty, broke ass. But that isn't even the best part. The actual highlight was his date night statement mocking my neurodivergence:
"Brink fakes his autism and tries to use it to get women."
A tale as old as time: A man, jealous and threatened by another more successful and taller, better-looking, more civilized and educated man, desperate to put him down in front of a woman in hopes it will score him some pussy.
But think about that logic for a second. Someone leveraging a disability to “get women”. That’s a wild one to even come up with in that pistachio-sized brain of yours, Richie. Some pathetic shit to conceptualize. Like, at least try to be clever and funny about it maybe?.
Let's ponder: When was the last time you met someone who lied about having a disability or leveraged a disability to try and get laid?
And when has that "worked" with women? I mean, maybe there are women with certain disability fetishes out there ...
But go ask any of your friends with disabilities. Mention this statement. They will be like "what in the actual fuck?"
If it was a visible, physical disability, like an amputation, someone in a wheelchair, blindness or deafness, would Richie make such a statement?
But when it comes something invisible like mental illness and neurodivergence people become falsely emboldened.
I don’t want to go on a whole side quest here about how dangerous Richie’s ideology is for people on the spectrum or diagnosed with mental health issues —but it’s ignorant, malicious and deplorable at the bare minimum.
Some info regarding autism:
Individuals with autism killed by police: Several incidents highlight the potential for violence when individuals with disabilities, including autism, interact with law enforcement, according to NBC News.
- Victor Perez, a 17-year-old autistic, nonverbal teen with cerebral palsy, was shot and killed by police in Idaho during a mental health crisis in April 2025.
- Ryan Gainer, 15, was killed in March 2024 after charging at a deputy with a garden tool.
- Eric Parsa, 16, died in 2020 after being pinned down by deputies for nine minutes while experiencing a mental health crisis.
Factors contributing to vulnerability:
- Autistic people are at increased risk of victimization due to social-communication challenges, misunderstandings of social cues, and potential for social isolation.
- Stigma, discrimination, and a lack of understanding from law enforcement and the wider community can also exacerbate this vulnerability.
Violence & autism via Wikipedia:
Autistic individuals are often victims of violence, including bullying, abuse, sexual assault and criminal acts. Violence can be physical or verbal, as illustrated by the frequent use of the word "autistic" as an insult. Autistic people, like many disabled people, are often victims of hate crimes, and many live in fear.
A 2003 study found that children diagnosed with Asperger syndrome (a since-defunct autism subtype) were more likely to be victims of violence than tormentors. Violence against non-speaking autistic people is also facilitated by the fact that they are unable to talk about it and report it: in general, the more a person is considered to be "in a weak situation", or as a "severe" case, the more vulnerable they are to violence and exclusion.
Robert Chapman argued in 2017 that a bias exists in the way information about violence in autism is processed: stating that violence experienced by autistic people is invisible, or considered "normal", leading to "a collective cultural failure to recognize violence against autistic people as a significant and pressing socio cultural issue".
Autistic individuals are disproportionately vulnerable to violence, including bullying, physical assault, and sexual assault, both as children and adults. Research indicates that autistic people experience higher rates of violence compared to the general population.
Factors Contributing to Violence Against Autistic People:
Social Vulnerability:
Autistic individuals may face challenges in social interactions, including communication difficulties and difficulties understanding social cues, which can make them more susceptible to bullying, harassment, and exploitation.
Limited Support:
Some autistic individuals may have limited access to support systems, including family, friends, or professional services, making them more vulnerable to abuse.
Stigma and Discrimination:
Autistic individuals may experience stigma and discrimination, which can increase their risk of victimization.
Interpersonal Relationships:
Autistic people, particularly women, are often at risk of violence from partners, ex-partners, and family members.
Now keep in mind, this isn’t me fabricating or exaggerating something Richie said … he confirmed these statements, to me, on a call and via text:
Upon learning what transpired on date night from my friend, (who, according to her has never spoken to Richie since because she realized he was a fucking loser), I immediately contacted him to discuss the matter. I was genuinely confused and bummed he did this to me.
Strangely enough, despite me supporting the guy and never doing a bad thing to him, his immediate response was, "I said what I said".
Standing on business. So brave.
I flat-out told him how lame he was and that I didn't understand this whole situation. I told him how we are working on a super cool project together and I don’t get why he would try to undermine my role or talent or contributions and why he would mock my autism to a woman he just met when he knew we were friends.
He explained that she was making fun of me too. At which point I was simply like “So you joined in? Damn, dude."
I'm aware what my friend was roasting. She was very candid with me about it. And it was something her and I joked about all the time. Some people earn the right to do that type of thing, through friendship and trust and respect. Others, like Richie, don’t.
The next day, Little Richard showed up in my texts with "I owe you an apology." Based on his demeanor the night before, this was a relief to me. We further discussed the situation; I explained my autism and my role in the documentary project so he could better understand. We discussed some other random shit and that was that. I thought it ended amicably. Felt good, you know?
But in typical weasel fashion (he kinda looks like a rodent, right?), Richie ran back to Slap a few months later, anonymously, to mock me some more on posts other's made about me. Piling on again, just like on date night.
Kinda negates the apology, right?
So here we are. I figure why not let people know who this dude is and what he’s like?
I write these pieces as therapy, if you will. Little journal entries that help me deal with the shit I endure from some of the fucking uneducated, emotionally-stunted selfish losers in the skateboarding industry, who want to be cool so badly, but they reek of desperation and insecurity instead. The people who antagonize and provoke—unsolicited, because they are used to there being no repercussions.
I view these posts kinda like Thrasher's "People I've Known" column. But they are about shitheads instead of friends.
These writings help me purge, and for lack of a better term, “heal.” It’s one of the great things about writing. Sometimes getting it out helps so much.
What often troubles me, though, is the narrative that if someone talks shit, makes up lies about you, disrespects you, tries to assault your character or whatever … you’re supposed to just take it and turn the other cheek. "Just ignore it", otherwise you are the problem.
Being shitty then blaming someone for their reaction to your shitty behavior— that’s gaslighting to the highest degree.
That’s how bullies and abusers act when held accountable, and, as someone who was abused as a child from first to tenth grade, throughout different schools and towns … I very much regret never standing up for myself. And that’s why abusers and their behavior perpetuate.
But also, fuck these creeps. No one needs to take their shit and why do we protect them with our silence? If you want to cast the first stone, I’m here for it. I’ll make time.
“Consequence culture” might be the term?
You don’t need to “ignore the comments” or “deal with it because you’re a public figure" or "because that’s just how people are” if you don't want.
If some random walked up to you on the street and slapped you in the face, would you ignore it?
Always journalism-minded, when something like this Richie incident happens to me, I take a few moments to do some research before I post anything. And, surprisingly (although I probably shouldn't be surprised anymore) I tend to find even worse things as I go ...
Like Richie telling a woman he disagrees with to "make him a sandwich" in the comments of a LinkedIn post:
Now this isn't something I had to dig for, or something deep in Richie's past that I'm cherrypicking ... this is the Sydney Sweeney American Eagle campaign from 3 weeks ago. This a is current sentiment from a man who works in an industry where women have been fighting for opportunity and a place at the table for decades.
Jamie Thomas minion too. Helped start warsaw. Link to Burman/Thomas articles ...
And here's one I'm "low key" including for the recruiters and HR people who's desk his resume lands on ...
Richie Valdez is very, very tiny hipster edgelord shit stain of a human. Just one of those dudes who loves to gossip and talk trash because it makes him feel some sense of power—power he is nowhere close to possessing at his size and levels of non-notoriety. A textbook hater.
Furthermore, lying about, and mocking the disabilities and mental health of his peers to a stranger on a first date and lobbing misogynist bombs at strangers on LinkedIn isn't off the table either. Real scumbag shit.
When you see him in real life, the black and white glamour shot up top becomes even more of a fucking hilarity. Great job, Richie. I hope it felt good to talk shit on me, and I hope you are proud of yourself.
- Brink