Content Warning: This article discusses sexual assault. If you or someone you know are affected by the following story, you are not alone. To speak to someone, you can call Lifeline on 13 11 14, or 1800 RESPECT on 1800 737 732.
The Killers lawyers have revealed the results of the internal investigation surrounding the sexual assault accusations by Chez Cherrie, the sound engineer of the band’s touring crew.
Last week, The Killers began an investigation following claims of sexual misconduct amongst their 2009 touring crew, where a female sound engineer, Chez Cherrie, claimed to be witness to a woman being abused backstage.
Cherrie wrote that the alleged incident occurred in Milwaukee, Wisconsin in the Rave/Eagles Ballroom: “We were about half way through our load-in when the FOH [front of house] engineer came over radio and said, ‘Hey guys, there is a girl set up in Dressing Room A. Put your name on the list outside the door with your radio channel and we’ll call you when it’s your turn.’
“I continued my load out, occasionally hearing a name come over the radio to notify them that it was their turn on the train in Dressing Room A.”
Following that, she alleges that on the bus, different members of the crew would “swap stories” about sexual encounters then had with the woman, where according to the statement, Cherrie argues that a security guy ran towards the bus where the stories were being swapped:
“The security guy said, and I will never forget this moment because a piece of me died that night, ‘That girl in Dressing Room A is passed out and naked. Is anyone going to take care of her?’,” which Cherrie then claims the crew simply laughed, declined responsibility, and simply left the venue.
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Cherie claims that the crew laughed and declined before leaving the venue.
“I cried that night in my bunk,” she stated. “I should’ve left the tour. I should’ve spoken up for that woman. I should’ve defended her… and made sure she was okay.”
Shortly after these allegations came to life, The Killers issued a statement via their attorneys, Renyolds & Associates:
“First and foremost, any allegations of inappropriate behavior by anyone on The Killers touring team are taken extremely seriously by the band and their management,” the statement read.
“This person’s story is appalling and, while The Killers do not have the same touring crew in 2020 that they had in 2009, they will be conducting a thorough investigation into past and present tour staff. Their legal team will be reaching out to this person for more information and clarity on the alleged incidents as detailed, as well as to the audio vendor who provided crew for the tour.
“The band are astonished and shocked by these claims. The behavior attributed to them and their crew is unrecognizable and in direct opposition to the principles with which they run their workplace.”
Check out ‘Mr. Brightside’ by The Killers:
Now, The Killers lawyers have revealed the results of their investigation in a lengthy statement, noting that the legal team found no evidence in relation to Cherrie’s shared claims.
Although the attorneys do mention they were able to find one “problematic” crew member that held a history of “poor management” and had been accused of a “series of sexist remarks and rude comments” which caused “the female crew member on the audio team great distress,” there was “no corroboration” found when it came to the Milwaukee incident.
““It could not be corroborated that there was ever a list placed on any door or any ‘line up’ or ‘train’ in any dressing room,” read the attorney’s statements.
“In provided statements, staff from the venue in question noted that dressing rooms are not, and have never been, labeled alphabetically, and at that time the dressing rooms were interconnected and without doors. It was also established via all crew and Tour Management that upon arrival in any venue the dressing rooms are uniformly labeled with the band’s names.”
Furthermore, the venue security at the Milwaukee venue confirmed to the lawyers that no members of security “raised concerns about a drunk, naked girl in the dressing room,” stating that the venue’s catering team also “asserted that at no point did they see or hear of a drunk or naked woman in any dressing room and anything of the sort would have been immediately radioed to all attending Production Crew and Venue Security.”
Additionally The Killers’ legal team noted that while they did find “the woman from the Milwaukee show’s guest list who was furnished with ‘after show’ passes from the FOH Engineer,” that even though Cherrie desperately believed “it was this female guest of the FOH Engineer who had been left ‘drunk and naked’ in a dressing room,” the guest, herself, had no recollection of witnessing a sexual assault, additionally stating “that she and the same friend attended 2009 Lollapalooza festival later that year on the band’s production guest list.”
The investigation also notes that some of The Killers’ 2009 crew members recalled the use of “vulgar language” and “crass jokes,” yet asserted that it was only a “small fraction of the crew and not the entire production.”
“Tour Management stated that they have become increasingly vigilant on this front over the years and provided documentation verifying that aggressive or derogatory language by crew results in dismissal.”
Concluding their investigation, The Killers’ lawyers noted: “All crew and Touring Management asserted that nothing as alleged had ever been witnessed – or rumored – on any of The Killers tours, in Milwaukee in 2009 or at any other time.
“This particular allegation was deeply disturbing to everyone on the touring team and they unanimously stated that they would have neither ignored nor forgotten an event of this nature.”
Furthermore, because of these allegations, the band plans to “take immediate action for future tours,” stating that “there should always be an easy way to report a situation that is concerning to anyone on the road with them, no matter their status or how briefly they are joining for.”
Check out Chez Cherrie’s statement regarding allegations of sexual assault:
Trigger warning. This is my story. I was a tech for the largest sound company in the world working for one of the biggest bands in the world (still).
I’ve never had any sort of justice. I wonder about her all the time.
Please share my story about my time with THE KILLERS. https://t.co/SlELWD6aje
— Chez Cherrie (@ofcherrie) July 28, 2020
