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PWR BTTM Respond to Allegations of Abuse on Twitter and Facebook

May 11th, 2017 - 4:58 PM

PWR BTTM Respond to Allegations of Abuse on Twitter and Facebook

This morning, a series of allegations were pushed against PWR BTTM on Twitter and Reddit, accusing Ben Hopkins of repeated abuses, both physically and verbally. This is a particularly shocking claim considering the group’s status as a beacon for the queer and LBGTQ community at large. While an old photo of Hopkins was included in the posts (an image that has been addressed and explained by Hopkins quite some time ago), the most explosive accusations paint Hopkins as someone who has repeatedly pushed themselves on others (and often, allegedly, minors) despite a lack of consent or even “nos.”

Naturally, Hopkins and PWR BTTM’s other band member Liv Bruce issues a response to the claims, calling them a “surprise” and “shocking,” acknowledging the seriousness of what is alleged while stating we live in a culture currently trivializes and normalizes violations of consent. They go on to say that Hopkins has not been contacted by any victims of abuse but that they are seeking a mediator that will run an email address for abuse victims or someone working with a survivor to discuss the allegations. PWR BTTM make it clear that Hopkins in particular will have no access to the account to protect victims and to protect Hopkins himself in case of malicious attack.

Here are a few of the social media posts that sparked the firestorm:

And responses to the band’s official response:

Meanwhile, Sadie Dupuis of Speedy Ortiz and her solo SAD13 project chimed in on Twitter, sharing her own date rape story and how it relates to being a victim of someone that is massively popular in a scene:

Meanwhile, T-Rextasy, a band that was scheduled to tour with PWR BTTM and themselves including queer-identifying members, came forward with this story about signing on to tour with the duo:

UPDATE (5/12): The bad news keeps piling up for PWR BTTM in the wake of the accusations that have been brought against Ben Hopkins. The band has cancelled their album-release show in New York City, as reported by Brooklyn Vegan. As T-Rextasy made it clear above, they have cancelled their appearances with PWR BTTM. Now, another opening artist has cancelled – Nnamdi Ogbonnaya, who expressed disappointment at “this type of shit continuously happening.”

According to Pitchfork, other opening groups Tancred, iji and Ratboy have dropped off the tour as openers for PWR BTTM as well.

Now, touring member Cameron West has announced he will leave the group as a performer and arranger. He stated how shocked he was at the allegations, then learned the band had known about them for months without sharing with the rest of the group. He adds that his decision is based on providing the highest possible respect for everyone.

Also leaving the band as a touring member is Nicholas Cummins, who wrote on Twitter that he believe all the accusation levied against Hopkins, he will not “dispose of them as human beings.” He added that while he was aware of some transgressions on the part of Hopkins, the breadth of what is coming out has him floored. He concludes the thread by hoping the band does the right thing and is honest and transparent in their accountability:

UPDATE 2 (5/12): Hopscotch Festival has announced via Twitter that they’ve dropped PWR BTTM from their 2017 lineup.

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The reaction to the allegations against Hopkins and PWR BTTM has been steep and swift; their management company, Salty Artist Management, has dropped the band. The company issued a statement on Facebook today:

In light of the allegations involving members of PWR BTTM, Salty Artist Management will no longer be working with the band. We do not take these kind of allegations lightly and our thoughts are with victims and survivors of abuse who have been affected by this.
If you need someone to talk to, these organizations can provide information and support:
National Sexual Assault Hotline – (800) 656-4673
The Trevor Project – (866) 488-7386
LGBT National Help Center – (888) 843-4564
National Coalition of Anti-Violence Programs – (212) 714-1141

UPDATE (5/13): Yesterday, as details of the abuse claims against Ben Hopkins emerged, the fallout continued for PWR BTTM. It appears Polyvinyl will drop the band, as the link for their artist page redirects back to the roster page for Polyvinyl, and PWR BTTM are nowhere to be seen. Their album has been removed from the Polyvinyl site as well and the label has left a statement (from Pitchfork), indicating that they will no longer sell or distribute the band’s album and are offering refunds for those that did purchase the album. The label will also donate to RAINN (rainn.org), which works to aid LGBTQ victims of sexual violence.

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