Even in the old tradition phone call reference methods, people gave false information. People give false statements in courts where they swear honesty before doing that. One has to make his own judgment and take things with grain of salt. Usually I can read a recommendation and totally see thru it, plus you can, in most cases, check the credibility of Reference giver. I would not judge John Doe just because a friend said he was a bad boss. This statement ” enormously insecure, self-doubting, pessimistic and sarcastic personality wrapped in Xanax” in itself is an exaggeration and verbose expression of ones feeling/frustrations than facts.

my two cents.