Coming on the heels of his first shows after the 2019 #MeToo allegations, Ryan Adams has revealed he is nine months sober.
On the heels of some of his first shows post the #MeToo allegations against him, Ryan Adams has revealed that he is nine months sober. This comes after a five-city tour in cities across the US in May, which marked his return to concerts.
While Adams released some of his work following the 2019 allegations against him, he had been staying off stage and away from live performances. Now, however, he’s announced another eight-city tour across the US, slated for October.
Speaking to TMZ, Adams revealed that he had been ‘working on songs for the tour’ and was ‘super stoked’ to play for fans again.
“Got nine months under my belt sober now,” he said, saying that he felt ‘a lot better.’
Adams’ return to performing has been contentious in the entertainment world, given the singer-songwriter became one of the key faces of the #MeToo movement.
In 2019, a New York Times article disclosed that seven women and ‘more than a dozen associates’ had alleged manipulative behaviour on Adams’ part. Their accounts detailed a behavioural pattern where Adams would promise them opportunities to further their career and in return pursue them sexually. The women claimed that if they turned down his advances, he would turn violent, resort to emotional and verbal abuse, and take away his support.
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The interviewees also included Adams’ ex-wife, actress Mandy Moore, who claimed that Adams used his position in the music industry to exploitative advantages.
“Music was a point of control for him,” Moore told the publication.
The New York Times report led to the FBI launching an investigation into Adams, particularly to confirm whether he had engaged in sexually explicit conversations with a minor. Said investigation was later dropped on account of no proof.
In 2020, Adams issued a public apology for his actions via the Daily Mail – almost a year after the New York Times piece, which he had called ‘upsettingly inaccurate’ in a series of tweets – which many thought was insufficient given the allegations against him.
“All I can say is that I’m sorry. It’s that simple.” he had written, “This period of isolation and reflection made me realise that I needed to make significant changes in my life.”
“I also understand that there’s no going back,” Adams added. “What pain was I carrying myself that was so poorly and wrongly being projected onto others?
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