Moby has once again found himself in hot water. The musician was forced to close his Los Angeles vegan bistro, Little Pine, last month amid the coronavirus pandemic. A new report from Eater has illuminated the mistreatment that former employees of the restaurant have experienced in the weeks following the closure — and the uncertainty that they have all been faced with.
The report features interviews with multiple employees of Little Pine, who took to social media to complain about a lack of communication from Moby regarding healthcare and outstanding leave.
Employees were reportedly promised a fortnight of sick pay and a payout of owed vacation time following the closure of the restaurant. However, the weeks following saw Moby fail to confront their questions surrounding health care and the status of their employment.
The report claims that employees were only informed this week — a near month after the restaurant’s last day of service — that Little Pine would be going on “indefinite hiatus”. They were also told that health care coverage for full-time employees had been cancelled.
“I am coverage-less in the middle of a global pandemic,” said one former employee, “because my health care has been cancelled by a multimillionaire.”
It wasn’t until online backlash from employees hit a boiling point that Moby sent out a private email that saw him blame his bungled response on the fact was “dealing with quite a lot of personal issues”. Which is completely insane because we’re in the midst of a global pandemic and literally everyone is dealing with personal issues.
“Around the time of the little pine shutdown I was dealing with quite a lot of personal issues, and I realize that my emails… didn’t address your concerns, or express my profound gratitude for the remarkable work you all have done…” Moby wrote. In the email he expressed remorse that “hasn’t been able to do more to mitigate the financial hardship” felt by employees (despite being a literal multi-milllionaire.)
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“I fully accept that the shut down could’ve been handled much better. And for that I take responsibility, and again apologize.”
Moby has since taken to Little Pine’s Instagram account to address the controversy in the most woe is me way imaginable. “Now not only have we been forced to shut down, but we are on the verge of bankruptcy,” he wrote. “While being viciously attacked by countless strangers.”
The “strangers” in question were, of course, former employees.
Nice “protect the innocent. defend the vulnerable,” tattoo, you fucking muppet.
