Things are getting even darker at BlackBook for its freelancers, who have apparently taken to calling former editor-in-chief Aaron Hicklin to complain about back checks.

Hicklin tells Page Six "he often saw BlackBook cut checks for writers, and then cancel them after they were sent. 'It was mortifying as an editor.'"

Former freelancers have copied us the e-mails they sent to BlackBook asking to be paid. We've also seen the responses from BlackBook editors with excuses like, "we lost your contract" and "the check signer isn't here right now."