NOTE: This article contains disturbing and sexually explicit language. Please read at your own discretion.
Jacob Hoggard, lead singer of Hedley, has been accused of sexual assault by a woman in Ottawa.
According to CBC, an unidentified woman spoke up and said Hoggard assaulted her in a hotel room at the Thompson Hotel in Toronto after meeting on Tinder in 2016.
She matched with the lead singer on the dating app, which then led to a couple weeks of communicating over Snapchat.
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Hoggard’s lawyer released a statement that said, “At no time did Jacob act badly or do anything without her consent.”
Hoggard’s lawyer confirmed that the pair met on Tinder and that the unidentified woman travelled from Ottawa to Hoggard’s hotel in Toronto.
The statement reads: “Jacob met ___ on Tinder. They agreed to get together to have sex. She travelled from Ottawa to his hotel in Toronto to be with him for that purpose. They spent the afternoon together and had consensual sex. She went back to Ottawa that same day.”
“Jacob is very sorry that ____ is upset,” that statement continues. “But that does not change the fact that they made a mutual plan to get together to have sex and they did just that. At no time did Jacob act badly or do anything without ___’s consent.”
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She claims that the singer raped her in a hotel room in Toronto and sent her away crying uncontrollably.
She said she never filed a police complaint because she didn’t want her name associated with “the girl being raped by the singer of Hedley,” the unidentified woman said.
She also states that she thought it was her fault because she went to his hotel room to meet him.
The woman from Ottawa claims that she expected sex but alleges that Hoggard “completely crossed the line.”
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The woman gave full detail of the alleged events in her interview with CBC. She states that she said “stop” repeatedly through tears when the lead singer allegedly started to choke her and then dragged her to the bathroom by her legs. She also says that the only time Hoggard asked for her consent was to urinate on her, to which she said, “No, that’s disgusting.”
The woman said she was motivated to share her story following the #outHedley2k18 social media campaign, which has seen various sexual misconduct allegations brought against the band.
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Hedley has been dropped by their management team, tour openers and dozens of radio stations, but concert-goers say they are standing by Hedley as the besieged pop-rockers continue to perform across the country in the wake of sexual misconduct allegations that they have steadfastly denied.
On Feb. 23 at the band’s Halifax concert, Hoggard thanked Hedley fans from the “bottom of our hearts” for being the people the band could always rely on, but did not directly address the anonymous allegations of inappropriate behaviour involving young fans that have emerged on social media in recent weeks.
“To everybody … who has stood behind us all of these years — through the ups and the downs, through the highs and the lows, the good times and the bad — Halifax, we could never, ever imagine doing this without you,” Hoggard told the crowd over anthemic music.
“Because sometimes life sucks, and that’s why we’ve got you. And, Halifax, sometimes life sucks, but that’s why you’ve got us … Stay in our lives, and I promise we’ll stay in yours.”
You can read the full statement of the unidentified woman’s alleged sexual assault on CBC.
If you or someone you know is experiencing abuse or is involved in an abusive situation, please visit the Canadian Resource Centre for Victims of Crime for help. They are also reachable toll-free at 1-877-232-2610.
—With files from the Canadian Press
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