TRIGGER WARNING: This article contains information about sexual assault.
Illinois punk outfit The Orwells have cancelled their hometown show that was due to take place on November 23rd, amid allegations of sexual abuse.
Over the weekend, multiple allegations of sexual abuse, sexual interactions with underage girls, unsolicited nude photos and videos and use of homophobic language were gather in a Reddit post.
The Orwells have released the below statement, in response to these allegations:
It’s come to our attention that certain allegations of abuse have been made against one or more of us on social media and in social circles of Chicago. We’d like to first state that sexual abuse in any form is abhorrent. We do not take these accusations lightly and consider this matter incredibly serious. We emphatically deny these baseless allegations brought as a personal attack against us.
While callow altercations and vulgar language we’ve used in the past must be recognized and owned up to, the accusations of sexual assault are completely unfounded. No member of this band has ever acted without consent or maliciously taken advantage of anyone. We encourage anyone who’s been affected by sexual abuse to speak up and make their abusers known; however we also encourage everyone to be cautious of the things they read and say on the Internet. No victim of abuse should be hesitant to make their voice heard and if someone does feel that we’ve hurt them, we encourage them to contact us properly and privately (not via social media or anonymously), as to respect their identity.
Sincerely, Matt, Mario, Dominic, Henry, and Grant
The Orwells
