Warning: This article contains stories involving sexual misconduct which may be distressing to readers.
In a year that has sadly become infamous for the countless allegations of sexual misconduct and abuse put against numerous figures within the entertainment industry, it appears that we are not yet at the end of this list of names, according to a new lawsuit which has named Kiss’ Gene Simmons as the defendant.
As The San Bernadino Sun reports, the incident at the heart of the new lawsuit occurred on November 1st at the Rock & Brews restaurant during an interview which restaurant co-founder Gene Simmons was participating in.
The plaintiff, who has been identified only as Jane Doe, alleges that during an on-camera interview with Simmons and Kiss bandmate Paul Stanley, the famed bassist reportedly made “unwarranted sexual advances” towards her.
The lawsuit notes that Simmons allegedly grabbed the woman’s hand and “forcefully placed it on his knee and held it on his knee”, in addition to making “unwanted, unwarranted sexual advances” while reaching for her hand again.
As the interview progressed, Simmons apparently “turned standard interview questions into sexual innuendos, which made plaintiff Doe extremely uncomfortable,” flicked the woman in the throat, provided “incoherent explanation” for his actions, and finally touched the plaintiff’s buttocks while they posed for a promotional photograph.
The lawyer for the plaintiff, who has been identified as a “long-time on-air personality for a local rock station”, states that his client “is embarrassed and humiliated by the incident with Mr. Simmons”.
“She filed suit because she wanted to make a strong statement that this behavior is unacceptable and she wants to see an end to this type of behavior,” lawyer Willie W. Williams said.
Following the filing of the lawsuit, Gene Simmons’s representatives have released a statement in which the rocker denies the allegations brought against him.
“Friends, I intend to defend myself against any alleged charges you may have been reading about in the media,” Simmons statement notes, according to Pitchfork. “For the record, I did not assault the person making these accusations in the manner alleged in the complaint or harm her in any way.”
“I am conferring with my lawyers with the aim of vigorously countering these allegations. And, I look forward to my day in court where the evidence will prove my innocence.”
The news comes just days after more than 900 women in the music industry signed the widely reported #meNOmore Open Letter, to demand zero tolerance for sexual harassment, violence, objectification and sexist behaviours.
