Last Friday, Jeff Ragsdale stood in Madison Square Park with a sign that said "I WAS VERBALLY ABUSIVE I'M SORRY, MEGAN". Some (including us) suggested this was a publicity stunt. MEGAN says it was legit.

The New York Times' City Room wrote about the stunt, but then updated the post to say they believed it was a hoax. But in an email, Megan Brady said that Jeff really was a heartbroken lover with a plan just crazy enough to work. She complains that the Times—having been burned by hoaxes in the past—has been overly cautious in accepting her and her boyfriend as legit. And that the Timesreporter who wrote the post, Elisa Mala, was "told people will get fired" over it.

Jeff and I have been in constant contact with the New York Times. We have given them every kind of evidence possible to prove that it is in fact not a hoax including emails, photos of our relationship, videos and Recently, however The New York Times has begun to get defensive. Elisa Mala told me this morning that many of those who are "higher up" in the New York Times are involved in this and that she has been told that people will get fired. She also said that if Jeff and I do not come clean and admit it was a hoax, we are going to get smeared!

(As of Saturday night, the City Room post has been updated again: "There is considerable evidence that this is a hoax... Obviously, we are skeptical at this point. We will dig further. Just as obviously, we wish we had done the digging before we published the post."):

Yikes! Megan goes on to clarify that while she is an actor and Jeff is a comedian, they both have day jobs as well. She says they are "both willing to take Polygraph tests" to prove it wasn't a hoax. And:

Jeff is not anything but a man who apologized in a very "Jeff way," which seems odd to most but not to me because I know him so well, he has been my best friend for quite awhile. He also knows me very well and knew how to get my attention. It worked.

Aw, isn't that nice. This story has everything: evil journalists, heartbreak and redemption. We smell a movie deal! How about Natalie Portman as Elisa Mala, the jaded City Room reporter who mistakes the whole thing for a prank but eventually opens her eyes to the true power of love?

Update: Holy crap, we just realized that maybe this email was part of the hoax too!?