GrapheneOS started in 2014 and was originally named CopperheadOS. In late 2015, the Copperhead company was founded which was meant to support the project. Copperhead didn't create CopperheadOS and didn't own or control it. Copperhead made a failed takeover attempt on it in 2018.
GrapheneOS still has the original CopperheadOS repositories on GitHub. Copperhead seized a bunch of the project's infrastructure and accounts. They created a closed source fork of GrapheneOS called CopperheadOS after the split which was not the same CopperheadOS as the original.
Copperhead remained entirely dependent on GrapheneOS and had to keep forking our code for each major Android update. Despite depending on GrapheneOS, they waged a war against it trying to destroy the project and attempting to ruin the lives of our team, especially our founder.
Copperhead heavily pushed the false narrative that they created the project and that we created a fork in 2018 which absolutely isn't true. Their claims fell apart in their legal attacks on GrapheneOS and we wiped out their closed source fork by forbidding them using our code.
Copperhead heavily edited Wikipedia to push their false narrative. It's why there's a huge article on CopperheadOS presenting it as a separate product when it wasn't one and an inaccurate history in the GrapheneOS article. False narratives about our team are still there too.
Copperhead published a bunch of press releases and did interviews pushing their false narrative. Many companies including Twitter defaulted to taking the word of a tiny corporation falsely claiming credit for our work over us. We've yet to receive back our stolen Twitter account.
Copperhead made the attacks personal and targeted the founder of GrapheneOS with fabricated stories and vile personal attacks. Henry Fisher (Techlore) collaborated with Copperhead to make it into widespread harassment. Others opportunistically took advantage of the situation.
Nicolas Merrill took advantage of the situation. He hired a Copperhead employee involved in the takeover to create CalyxOS. CalyxOS heavily used our code and documentation. It was promoted by attacking us and portraying themselves as being above the situation with Copperhead.

Nicolas Merrill burned down Calyx and CalyxOS on his way out. Nick was secretly working on a for-profit company to replace Calyx. He used Calyx resources for his personal benefit and was pushed out. Louis Rossmann is one of 3 co-founders of the company:

https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/2009536/000200953624000001/xslFormDX01/primary_doc.xml

SEC FORM D

No one should believe the false narratives peddled by these people. They've always been in it for personal benefit and have caused immense harm to actual efforts to improve privacy and security. We're willing to forgive people who were duped by their fabrications, just reach out.
We're offering forgiveness to people who have engaged in years of libel/harassment towards us if they take down their attacks, debunk it and help repair the harm caused to us. This offer even extends to Henry Fisher and Louis Rossmann. Alternatively, we can address it in court.
@GrapheneOS please just drop it and make a better product moving forward that stands on its own. There's not enough usable alternative phone OS's out there to get tied up in a court battle.
@RCSM Henry Fisher and Louis Rossmann need to stop directing harassment towards our team. If they aren't going to do that, then the situation needs to be resolved another way. The level of harassment directed towards us isn't tolerable and the status quo cannot stand. We're absolutely not going to continue living under siege from these people directing hate towards us. There are daily raids because of it across our platforms and relentless harassment towards our team. You don't live it, we do.
@GrapheneOS I have to this response was not unexpected. I think I'm going to tryout Lineage Is this weekend.
@RCSM @GrapheneOS This is just petty. Losing one user, out of spite, isnt going to matter. GOS is free to all, and its number of users arent a metric that needs to be increased at all costs. Your spite falls short but it is saddening that you tried to be, regardless. The only consequences are you making your device less private and secure. That is to your detriment, not GOSs.