This is really very telling: Özcan Akyol, best friend of Matthijs van Nieuwkerk, openly has doubts about the throat grabbing incident. “More has really happened than just raising our voices.”
It is now becoming very difficult for Matthijs van Nieuwkerk to continue to deny the new accusations of sexual and physical misconduct. Even his best friend Özcan Akyol no longer believes in it. He said last night Today Inside that he won’t let Matthijs down, but he clearly does that now.
Özcan hesitates
Matthijs does not report libel and slander against Suzanne Kunzeler, the boss of BNNVARA, even though according to him she really sells nonsense. She states that the presenter grabbed someone by the throat and pushed them against the wall. But also that he committed sexual misconduct at the DWDD editorial office.
Critics find it significant that the presenter does not report the incident and Özcan remarkably agrees with this. “I know this question was coming, but look, if he’s sure he didn’t do it, then I would do it, but if he’s not so sure, then I understand why he doesn’t do it. ”
Right perspective
Özcan thinks that Matthijs sees himself as innocent. “I do believe that at a certain point you are so caught up in your own experience of something that you may no longer have the right perspective, if you know what I mean? That it was something small for you, but very intense for the other person.”
And if the presenter continues to treat it as something small, it causes annoyance, according to the columnist. “And that’s why those people get so angry and start contacting Angela, because they think again: this isn’t quite right.”
Behind the hand
Suzanne accuses Matthijs without any reservations and, according to Özcan, that says something. “She really went for the attack. I don’t think you do that if you don’t have anything up your sleeve, i.e. statements from people. She is so strengthened by the fact that something has happened, that is why she dares to come out in this way. She must have something.”
But wait a minute: is Özcan publicly dropping his good friend for the first time? “Look, how can I put it? These people don’t just come out. It’s a friend, I won’t drop it, but something more has happened than just raising my voice or whatever.”
Forgetting things
It is a significant change of course from Özcan, who until recently always stood up for Matthijs. “Look, I thought for a long time that it was about raising voices and I thought: okay, it’s not about anything, but I now think it is… Also because those editors have already asserted themselves so often. You also have to take that seriously.”
According to him, one thing is certain: “That man’s career has been killed, he will no longer be able to present a feel-good program on RTL 4, because everyone will think: what is happening behind the scenes?”