Arcade Fire frontman Win Butler is in hot water after being accused of alleged sexual misconduct by four people. Three women and a gender fluid person all came forward with claims of alleged abuse initiated by the vocalist.
In a report obtained by Pitchfork, four people, who wish to remain anonymous, shared accounts of how persistent the indie rock musician was with his sexually charged requests and how he was at times allegedly “forceful” and allegedly nonconsensual. Butler and representatives argued that they were indeed consensual but doubled down after releasing an official statement that read:
“I love Régine with all of my heart. We have been together for twenty years, she is my partner in music and in life, my soulmate and I am lucky and grateful to have her by my side. But at times, it has been difficult to balance being the father, husband, and bandmate that I want to be. Today I want to clear the air about my life, poor judgment, and mistakes I have made.”
This statement came after a rep for Butler dared to challenge one of the accuser’s accounts of racy text messages that went south between them and Butler. It also serves as one of several official statements released by Butler on the matter in the coming days leading up to the controversial news.
Earlier this year, mxdwn.com reported that Butler and his Arcade Fire collective were due to play “Saturday Night Live”, who were all going on their fifth time as performers; the first being in 2007.