THE FUSE

Being the target of a smear campaign can feel like psychological and emotional warfare. The injustice, the cruelty, the fabrications, the distortions, and the unwarranted and unfair attacks on your character and reputation can feel intimidating and terrifying. They are most often associated with politics and the celebrity world, but they can also take place in communities, families, and within interpersonal relationships (Samoilenko et al, 2016). A smear campaign may feel like the end of a career, relationship, or friendship and make a person feel unsafe and insecure, but it can also be a beginning if the target can stay true to themselves throughout the ordeal.