A fifth person has come forward, detailing her allegedly abusive relationship with Arcade Fire’s Win Butler, following Pitchfork’s August publication depicting similar claims surrounding the alleged emotional manipulation and sexual coercion enacted by the Arcade Fire frontman, claiming that Butler allegedly “exploited my body at times that were convenient for him.”

According to Marc Hogan of Pitchfork, “Sabina approached Pitchfork after our August publication of a report in which four people accused the Arcade Fire frontman of sexual misconduct taking place between 2016 and 2020. Three women detailed relationships in which they believe Butler used his status as a famous musician to pressure them into sexual encounters either in person or over the phone, and the fourth person, who is gender fluid, described two instances of alleged sexual assault involving unwanted kissing and touching.

Amidst hundreds of screenshots submitted by the woman in question containing “evidence” of messages exchanged between the woman, who would like to be referred to under the pseudonym “Sabina” and Butler over the course of their three-year “emotionally-manipulative” sexual relationship, Butler wrote “Please forgive me for being hurt,” in the early morning of August 27, 2017, when Sabina was ignoring his texts asking for sex. 

Butler has not yet addressed Sabina’s assertions but has maintained that there was explicit and mutual consent within all his sexual interactions with the four people who made the original claims of sexual harassment prior to Sabina’s additional denouncements. In a statement issued through crisis PR specialist Risa Heller, he wrote, “I have long struggled with mental health issues and the ghosts of childhood abuse. In my 30s, I started drinking as I dealt with the heaviest depression of my life after our family experienced a miscarriage. None of this is intended to excuse my behavior, but I do want to give some context and share what was happening in my life around this time.” 

A Canadian lawmaker urged the alleged victims to make formal complaints back in August, but no further data or movements to urge Butler to take accountability for his alleged crimes if need be since then. 

Following the sexual misconduct allegations against Butler, artist Beck dropped from the Arcade Fire tour.

The artist Feist also dropped off the Arcade Fire tour in response to those aforementioned allegations.

Photo Credit: Sharon Alagna