Earlier this week, True Detective creator and known schmuck Nic Pizzolatto was accused of plagiarism—largely of works by author Thomas Ligotti—in an essay from two dudes: Mike Davis and Jon Padgett. Today, Pizzolatto and HBO reached out to Deadline to refute the accusation.

True Detective creator Nic Pizzolatto has been accused of lifting phrases and ideas from writer Thomas Ligotti's The Conspiracy Against The Human Race: A Contrivance of Horror, as well cribbing ideas from works by numerous other writers.