Women in Rock Bands Are Speaking Out About Toxic Culture of Sexual Abuse in Music
A number of sexual misconduct allegations have surfaced against musicians in recent weeks, with two women from prominent rock bands now speaking out about experiences with fellow artists. Regrettes frontwoman Lydia Night has accused SWMRS drummer Joey Armstrong of abuse, while Cherry Glazerr frontwoman Clementine Creevy wrote about alleged abuse from Buttertones bassist Sean Redman.
Lydia Night details a two-year relationship she had with Joey Armstrong, the son of Green Day’s Billie Joe Armstrong, which began when he was 22 and she was 16. Night released a statement, which includes allegations of requesting they keep their relationship a secret, pressuring her to show her body on Facetime while he masturbated without warning and abusing his position of power while SWMRS headlined over the Regrettes on tour.
In her own social media post, Clementine Creevy wrote about Sean Redman, who was also her former bandmate. She describes a relationship they had when he was 20 and she was 14, though she says she initially told him she was 16. Creevy writes about getting HPV from Redman after he apparently insisted on not using protection and then getting gonorrhea from him after he cheated on her and still didn’t use protection.
In response to these women's stories, Paramore singer Hayley Williams wrote about a toxic culture of abuse that exists within the music industry and being a rare female in the early mid-2000s emo scene to not have any personal horror stories. She ends her statement with, “All respect to Clem and Lydia and others who’ve come forward. You are brave and worthy.”