Another week, another series of sexual assault-related bombshells from the world of music. First, Diddy.
The firehose of stories about Sean (Diddy) Combs and his “freak off parties” involve everything from alleged sexual assault and sex trafficking to kidnapping, weapons charges, drug use and arson. The memes involving the more than 1,000 bottles of lube and baby oil (allegedly laced with the party drug GHB) are everywhere, as are those featuring Los Angeles police standing next to a seized barrel filled with 750 dildos.
Every day brings more reporting on the A-listers some speculate may have been involved, what some have alleged to have done, the payoffs and cover-ups, the conspiracy theories, and the allegations brought forth by more than 100 complainants.
Diddy’s alleged behaviours are said to be decades old. He sits in a Brooklyn detention centre awaiting trial (probably in April or May), isolated from other inmates for his own safety. Meanwhile, there’s Jeffrey Epstein-level worry about who and what Diddy knows.
Then there’s the case of Sum 41’s Deryck Whibley who, in his new memoir, Walking Disaster: My Life Through Heaven and Hell, alleges that the band’s former manager and producer, Greig Nori, pressured him into non-consensual sexual acts starting when Whibley was just 16. (Nori says these stories are false and has reportedly retained a defamation lawyer.) It’ll be interesting to see how that all plays out.
On Thursday, investigators looking into Marilyn Manson announced that they’re reviewing a ton of new evidence involving sex abuse, rape and torture. This is in addition to all the other allegations that have been thrown his way over the last several years. The new claims come just as Manson is trying to restart his once-cancelled music career.
Meanwhile, there’s the ongoing saga of Jacob Hoggard, the one-time lead singer of Hedley. While he was acquitted of one sexual assault charge earlier this month, there are others. Thursday saw him give up on getting the Supreme Court of Canada to overturn a conviction for assaulting a woman in a Toronto hotel room in 2016. He’s currently serving a five-year sentence for that attack.
The list of “problematic artists” who’ve been accused of abuse and assault goes on: Michael Jackson, R Kelly, Jian Ghomeshi, Win Butler of Arcade Fire, producer Dr. Luke, Diplo, Gary Glitter, the horrific pedophiliac crimes of Lostprophets frontman Ian Watkins, Chris Brown, Kodak Black, Sean Kingston and British rapper Slowthai.
It’s a lot to take in and each week brings more stories. The truth is, though, that these kinds of things have been happening since the dawn of rock ‘n’ roll. Chuck Berry went to jail for statutory rape. Elvis, Jerry Lee Lewis and Rolling Stones bassist Bill Wyman with their child brides. David Bowie slept with some of the “Baby Groupies” of L.A. Jimmy Page took a 14-year-old on tour with him.
Back then — a less enlightened time, for sure — people looked the other way. Such behaviours were seen as part of the sex, drugs and rock ‘n’ roll lifestyle, the very thing that attracted millions to the world of music. And before social media, such crimes and indiscretions were easy (well, easier) to cover up.
So why the flood of stories now? A couple of reasons.
The MeToo movement began in 2006 when Tarana Burke, a survivor of sexual assault, began using the phrase on MySpace as a way to encourage victims to speak up. The hashtag #MeToo first appeared on social media in 2017, drawing more attention to the problem. The result has been a groundswell of empathy, empowerment and solidarity by and for sexual assault victims. Knowing that there’s this kind of belief and support out there makes it more likely for victims to come forward. And they have, some publicly, some anonymously.
Another reason for people choosing to come forward now has to do with organizations such as RAINN (Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network) stepping up to help with education, support and a friendly ear. If you’re believed and supported, you’re more willing to confide in someone.
Then there are several laws that have come into effect over the last couple of years. In New York state, there’s the Adult Survivor Act, which opened a one-time window for older sexual assault victims. It was under this law that E. Jean Carroll was able to successfully sue Donald Trump for sexual assault. That one law opened the doors for at least 2,500 people to seek justice, including cases that were opened against Diddy and Russell Brand. California has something similar, but it limits the window to file a charge to three years and only applies to alleged crimes that happened after Jan. 1, 2009.
There’s the ubiquity of smartphones. Privacy and secrecy can disappear in an instant. Distribution of incriminating evidence can be done in seconds. Some people were late to that realization and are now being exposed by video, photos and audio that they didn’t know existed.
To be sure, the music industry is long overdue for a thorough #MeToo reckoning. Society’s tolerance for bad and illegal behaviour has changed drastically. The more stories that are exposed, the more people will come forward.
We’re in for some interesting times.
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