this terrorist is toasted
Karl released the full call.
I put on part 1 in the background while I was getting some stuff done. It was damning BEFORE I knew the guys on the call were the ones he threatened with legal. On the call Jirad is the version of the Nice Guy you see when the mask starts to come off and they start with the passive aggressive manipulation. The Response video he made is the subsequent anger when the Nice Guy finally gets told to jump off a cliff because you're over his shit. I can now see Jirad 100% reacting to a girl breaking up with him the same way he has handled this whole situation.
If you have the time, Google the traits of a Nice Guy and check off each item as you listen to this call. You'll check every box.
The sane damage control thing to do is to (1) give the money to the org that you've talked about, (2) release a post-mortem about what we wrong, how you fixed it, and how you'll keep it fixed going forward, (3) keep moving forward with regularly scheduled content. Hell, depending on the amount of money involved it wouldn't be a bad idea to hire a PR firm while you're at it. I mean, this is your career, which also very much is a brand.
Instead Jirad is more concerned with optics, like you said. He's more concerned about trying to talk the guys into not releasing any content. At times it's like he's angry at them as if it's their fault instead of him taking responsibility. The cherry on the cake is Jirad asking both of them what they think he should do as if the answer is not glaringly obvious (donate the money, which hasn't been done at the time of this call). Jirad asking them about what to do really feels like there's more to this than meets the eye.
I wonder what it's like shopping around for five different therapists that are okay with you seeing four other therapists. Therapists are hundreds of dollars an hour too... dude would probably get more mileage for less money by hiring a personal trainer and a dominatrix to beat the passive aggressive bitch out of him. Hell, in LA there's probably a few people that do both.