I’m just talking out of my arse now but I’m so confused by the level of support for him I can’t help but clutch at straws to try to explain it.
manipulators be manipulating.
Rapists and other abusers are known to very often charm everyone around them. It isn't only a way to lure in their victims, but it's also a great defence against suspicion ("he's such a nice guy, he could never") which has proven to work over and over and over again (and those are just the most famous cases off the top of my head, but the pattern repeats often at all levels of wealth and fame/anonymity).