Win Butler, frontman of Grammy-winning rock band Arcade Fire, has been accused of sexual misconduct by four people.
Three of the plaintiffs are women who describe themselves as “loyal” fans of the band and claim their misconduct occurred between 2016 and 2020, when they were between the ages of 18 and 23, compared to Butler’s age. Between 36 and 39 years old. The fourth plaintiff, according to the British “Daily Mail” report, Butler sexually assaulted them twice in 2015, when they were 21 years old and he was 34 years old. cross.
Butler has been married to Arcade Fire member Régine Chassagne since 2003.
According to a statement he provided to Pitchfork, Butler denied the allegations of sexual misconduct, saying he “had a consensual relationship outside of my marriage.”
The accusers, identified in the article by pseudonyms, said Butler initially contacted them through social media, then met them in person, and later made requests for nude photos and sex. One of the women told Pitchfork, “Butler sent her pictures of his genitals against her will.”
Another woman described the two having “texts and video calls” before having sex after the pair first contacted Butler on Instagram after the Arcade Fire concert in Montreal. However, before a concert in October 2017, she had sex in her Vancouver bedroom, and the person told Pitchfork that she had attempted suicide. “I feel incredibly low,” she said. “Having to keep everything a secret, constantly putting my needs aside in order to appease him, the lack of boundaries, and the guilt of being another woman, it all became difficult to ignore.”
Butler reportedly admitted he was aware of her suicide attempt, but said she told him “it’s not about me, she’s mentally ill.” “It’s definitely about him,” she replied.
The gender-fluid man, a 21-year-old art student at the time, said they met Butler while the band was performing in Montreal in January 2015. The two exchanged contact information and met in February, and they allege Butler touched them inappropriately without their consent. He showed up at their apartment two days later and “he pressed me against the wall and grabbed me aggressively by the body and stuck his tongue down my throat,” they said. “It’s a sexy attempt, and it just doesn’t work in this situation.”
Arcade Fire will perform at Coachella in 2022.
(Courtesy of Lance Gerber/Coachella Music Festival)
In his statement, Butler sometimes called his marriage “unconventional” and said the relationship with the four plaintiffs was “brief,” adding that “every one of these interactions was mutual, and Always between consenting adults.”
“I have never touched a woman against her will and any suggestion I made is wrong. I strongly deny any suggestion that I am forcing myself on a woman or demanding sexual favors. This simply and definitively never happened. ,”He says.
Butler sent a second statement to Pitchfork, in which he admitted to suffering from depression and alcoholism.
“I have long struggled with mental health issues and the specter of childhood abuse. I started drinking in my 30s as I dealt with the worst depression of my life after a miscarriage in our family Symptoms. None of this excuses my actions, but I do want to provide some context and share what’s going on in my life during this time.”
For her part, Chassagne stood by her husband.
In a statement to Pitchfork, she said Butler was “my soulmate, my songwriting partner, my husband, and the father of my beautiful boys. He’s been my partner in life and music for 20 years. She continued: “I know what’s on his mind, I know he never and never will touch a woman without her consent, and I’m sure he never does. He’s lost.” He found his way back. I love him and the life we created together.”
Butler’s publicist, Laura Eldeiry, declined to comment on Butler and Chassagne’s statements to Pitchfork.
Arcade Fire, now a five-piece band led by the husband-and-wife duo, has won early acclaim for its earnest and complimented rock. After emerging from the bustling Montreal indie band in the mid-2000s, the group became one of the most popular rock bands of nearly two decades. They won a Grammy for Album of the Year for their third album, The Suburbs, in 2011 and headlined the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival in 2014. The group returned to Coachella this year, promoting its latest album in early morning sessions. Album “We”
As of Saturday, the band is still scheduled to start a European tour on Tuesday, with two nights at the Kia Forum in Inglewood in November.
Staff writer August Brown contributed to this report
