How do you deal with an ex who is talking shit about you with his friends and widespread hobby community? I guess ignoring it is the best way and honestly that's what I"ve been doing, but I feel like I need to do something more to set it straight that I'm not going to tolerate some b.s. from him and his friends long after we've been out of the relationship.

You'd think most people would be able to tell he's a problem being in his late 30s, living with his parents, not having a job (yes I was a major idiot at the time to fall for him), but he knows how to navigate socially and a lot of people only seem to think he's a "nice guy."

I haven't come across any direct harassment from him or any of his said friends and generally don't cross paths with them, but have noticed I might have to at some point since they're everywhere. However I've seen signs of it online and it's ticking me off. Not anything that I can blatantly call out, but hinting at things that suggest he has given out some intimate details of our relationship to some people. Even while I was dating him there were signs he was doing this to try to make me look bad, all the while using what he can get out of me with my dumb pickmeisha attitude.

Obviously you can't control what people say, but it's honestly making me want to carry a gun to have an intimidation factor if I'm being really honest in case I have to put up with it in person from him or any of his friends. I live in a concealed carry state and it would be legal. I don't want some loser messing around with my life and acting like he has something over me just because he dated me for a few months and had sex with me.

Am I overreacting? It's just pissing me off. Not like I'm going to shoot him dead, but just want them to know who they're messing with and that I'm not some doormat whose going to just take it.