‘Ghosts Of Shepherdstown:’ Nick Groff Denies ‘Fake’ Rumors As Jason Hawes Defends His Integrity

“Paranormal TV shows bring out the skepticism in many viewers, but Ghosts of Shepherdstown has been in the hot seat this week due to reports that one of Shepherdstown’s residents allegedly said in an interview that Ghosts of Shepherdstown is “staged and fake,” as reported by Dread Central.

A Ghost Hunter Defends a Former Ghost Adventurer

That prompted Jason Hawes of Ghost Hunters to post a link to the story on his Facebook, but late Wednesday night, Hawes seemed to have a change of heart about the authenticity of the media report, rather than Ghosts of Shepherdstown itself. Hawes came to the defense of one of the show’s stars and producer Nick Groff, known for his past work on Ghost Adventures and his current hit paranormal series, Paranormal Lockdown.

Hawes told paranormal fans he had never seen Ghosts of Shepherdstown and wasn’t aware of Groff’s involvement when he initially posted the article link but had just talked to Groff on the phone before filming the video clip.

https://www.facebook.com/Jasonhawes.taps/videos/10154487020971879/

“When I posted the article, it was a surprise to me. Because I know Nick has always been a standup guy and I never had a problem with him. And I truly think he’s interested in the field of paranormal investigations, which a lot of shows out there can be — let’s be honest, you all know it as well as I do — there’s a lot of bullsh*t out there and a lot of people who friggin’ just want to be on TV.”

Hawes went on to tell his paranormal fans that they should give Groff the benefit of the doubt, and gave them a heads up that Groff himself would be making a statement on his Facebook shortly after the video was posted.

More paranormal articles on the Inquisitr:

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Paranormal Fans Get Confusing Quotes

Nick Groff explained on his Facebook page that the original quote that started the whole mess, by Shepherdstown visitors’ center director Marianne Davis, had been taken out of context when reported by other media outlets. The Journal, who spoke with Davis directly, reported as part of their interview: “Davis said some of the locations or ghost stories were changed by the show’s producers ‘to make good television.'”

In a previous Inquisitr report, the exchange was reported as the following.

“But the director of the visitors’ center in Shepherdstown, Marianne Davis, confirmed that parts of Ghosts of Shepherdstown are staged and fake, saying that ghost stories and locations are changed by the show’s producers ‘to make good television.'”

Finally, Dread Central incorrectly attributed the “staged and faked” quote to Davis herself, which Groff pointed out was not in her original interview quote. Dread Central’s version is the following.

“According to the director of the visitor’s center in Shepherdstown, Marianne Davis, via The Inquisitr, ‘Parts of ‘Ghosts of Shepherdstown’ are staged and fake,’ saying that ghost stories and locations are changed by the show’s producers ‘to make good television.'”

Groff Assures Ghosts of Shepherdstown Fans the Stories are Real

Groff says that despite Davis’ actual comments about changing locations or stories, he and his fellow investigators, Bill Hartley and Elizabeth Saint, work with their team and researchers to “ensure that all witnesses’ stories are told accurately. All of the witness accounts that we investigate are real.”

Here’s Nick Groff’s full statement on the rumors.

“Hi Everyone: I started to see some questions about the authenticity of Ghosts of Shepherdstown, and I just want to clear the air for you all as we go into Season 2 next week.”

“My fellow investigators, Bill Hartley and Elizabeth Saint, and I work closely with production, the local researcher, Dana Mitchell, and the town of Shepherdstown to ensure that all witnesses’ stories are told accurately. All of the witness accounts that we investigate are real.”

“Unfortunately, an online outlet took a quote from Marianne Davis, the director of the Shepherdstown visitor’s center, out of context from an interview that Marianne gave to a local newspaper earlier this year. Marianne was not interviewed by this outlet, nor any other that shared the story.”

“Marianne is a lovely person who cares passionately about her community and has been a great resource and ally for us filming. After talking with her today, Marianne said, “We’re looking forward to the new season, and introducing new visitors from around the world to Shepherdstown.” And to help her set the record straight, I wanted to share the full context of what Marianne said when she did an interview with a local newspaper back in January. You’ll also notice in that interview that she never states, “Parts of ‘Ghosts of Shepherdstown’ are staged and fake” as referenced by other online outlets: http://www.journal-news.net/…/strange-things-ghosts-of-she…/

“Thanks to you all for the support, and I hope that you’ll tune in on Monday night at 10/9c to watch the Season 2 premiere on Destination America! Have a great day! – Nick Groff”

So what do you think, paranormal fans? Comment below.

[Featured Image by Destination America]