I would challenge this statement. I think that Avenatti's claims very much damaged Ford's. They turned her semi-credible (36 years ago, they would have been very credible) accounts into Tabloid Fodder.

On their own, her accounts had far more impact as they spoke of a not-outlandish incident. Teenage boy pushes teenage girl onto bed and gets hands-y with her. You can even see it in any number of movies from that era. It's laughed off as a joke, or drunk teens getting a bit out of control. Our hindsight today sees it very different.

Then you have "exposed himself" at college to some girl. Kinda more outlandish, but if I had a dollar for everyone who went streaking or "exposed themselves" to me at college, my school loans would be non-existent.

And then now you have gang rapes and boys spiking punch to run a train on some girls. Ok...now it's completely tabloid fodder. It makes it that much more interesting when the person saying this is not even saying she saw him in that train or spiking the punch. Instead, he was standing near the punch...

Add onto this stories of being questioned by the cops at a bar fight, and his throwing ice at someone in a bar.

All of these things decreased her credibility. She went from a semi-credible account to the first instance of exaggerating and outlandish stories.

~Jeordam