King’s College accused of ‘silencing people’ over hidden X reply on controversial professor

King’s College London has been accused of hiding a comment on one of its X posts.

The university celebrated the announcement of a staff member, Professor Simon Wessely, being awarded a GBE in the King’s Birthday Honours this year.

However it has since been accused of hiding a reply which highlighted a previous controversy surrounding the professor.

Working as a professor of psychological medicine at the institute of psychiatry, psychology and neuroscience (IoPPN) at King’s, Simon Wessely has previously been the subject of controversy relating to his work on Gulf War Syndrome and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome.

He has since commented that he could have been more diplomatic in his work and is now better at handling controversy following the backlash.

The initial tweet by King’s was shared on June 14th and read: “We are delighted to announce that Professor Sir Simon Wessely (@WesselyS) has been awarded a Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the British Empire (GBE) in this year’s King’s 2025 Birthday Honours.”

We are delighted to announce that Professor Sir Simon Wessely (@WesselyS) has been awarded a Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the British Empire (GBE) in this year's King’s 2025 Birthday Honours. 🎉

🧵⬇️ pic.twitter.com/bRdMwnpO5G

— King's College London (@KingsCollegeLon) June 14, 2025

A number of users responded to the tweet, with some in support of Professor Wessely, whilst others protested the news.

However one person, Matthew, replied to Kings’ post, believing the institution had hidden a responding comment made by another user.

Using X’s AI tool Grok, one user replied to Kings’ tweet and asked AI to explain the “harm” that the professor had previously caused to patients. The full tweet read: “@Grok Can you explain the harm that Simon Wessely has caused to patients, specifically ‘the greatest medical scandal’ (M.E.) But also Gulf War Syndrome etc?”

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X user Matthew’s screenshot of the tweet appeared to be in the “Hidden Replies” section. Posting this screenshot, he captioned the post: “Why did King’s College London hide this one reply by @Fatigo_MECFS?”

via X

Following Matthew’s Tweet, X users accused King’s of “silencing people” over Sir Wessely’s controversial work, and in particular his work in Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome.

One user, Lucien, wrote: “Wow. Just wow. Talk about silencing people. Let’s all do the same comment and see if we get blocked.”

via X

Commenting on the claim the university hid the comment, one person wrote: “120 comments and we all notice the one they hid. Not very smart…”

Others voiced their disappointment in the initial tweet from King’s which celebrated Professor Wessely: “He didn’t just gaslight patients, he delayed medical progress for decades.”

“Just a terrible human being. His ego caused an astounding level of suffering. Shame on Kings College,” another wrote. 

In an interview with the ME association in 2011, Professor Wessely claimed that many ME activists oppose his work in the field because it focuses on the psychological causes of the illness.

Sir Wessely said at the time he had received abuse, threats of violence, and even death threats from some people who disagreed with his research on ME/CFS.

In an article by The Guardian, Professor Wessely is credited for influencing the “biopsychosocial” model in research practice and government policy. In 1993, during a government meeting, he claimed that ME/CFS was “not a neurological disorder”.

He suggested that severe cases could be due to undiagnosed mental health conditions or poorly managed illnesses. He is also recorded saying that resting too much could be harmful for ME/CFS patients, exercise could help patients, and receiving benefits could make patients worse.

The biopsychosocial view became official guidance in 2007, with the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence recommending graded exercise therapy and cognitive behavioural therapy as treatments for ME/CFS. These interventions are now known to be harmful to ME/CFS patients by making symptoms worse.

In 2011, a study claimed that GET and CBT were effective treatments for ME/CFS. However, the study was criticised for being biased and flawed. In surveys, more than half the patients who followed the recommended graded exercise programme said their symptoms were made worse.

The Science Media Centre, which Sir Wessely was a founded member, helped promote these beliefs. Some media, influenced by the Centre, portrayed patients as “abusive”, and “resistant to treatment”. As a result, some patients were forced into harmful treatments, and even psychiatric units.

Carol Monaghan, the SNP MP for Glasgow North West at the time, called the trial “one of the greatest medical scandals of the 21st century”.

A King’s College London spokesperson said: “Professor Sir Simon Wessely’s GBE, awarded by King Charles III and announced in his Birthday Honours, recognizes over 35 years of dedicated service to mental health. His pioneering work at the Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, leadership in military health research, and vital contributions during the COVID-19 pandemic stand as testament to his profound impact.”

Professor Sir Simon Wessely was approached for comment 

Featured image via YouTube, Canva and X