Am I supposed to be embarrassed for defending someone against a baseless smear?

Anyway, call it "defensive" all you want. It doesn't change the historical thread: You argued, at best, his views made the workplace unwelcoming; the data shows he hires women at parity. You're just backpedaling because the reality didn't match your narrative vibes.

I still don't think those are contradictory. If some women that worked with him share their opinion I'll readjust.

Low bar to accuse. High bar to retract. Classic.

I'd happily accuse quite a lot of people of not being very welcoming to women in the industry. It's a very common trait to have.

Happily accusing without evidence? Not shocking behavior. What's shocking is to just say it out loud. LMAO. Funny how "believe women" stops applying when their choices contradict your priors.