The members of Canadian pop-rock band Hedley have announced that they will be taking an “indefinite hiatus” in the wake of mounting sexual assault allegations against frontman Jacob Hoggard.
On Wednesday, Calgary radio host Katie Summers became the latest woman to accuse Hoggard of sexual misconduct, after she claimed the 33-year-old singer touched her inappropriately seven years ago.
READ MORE: Calgary radio host accuses Hedley’s Jacob Hoggard of sexual misconduct
Allegations of sexual misconduct first appeared earlier this month on social media in posts made by anonymous users.
A lawyer for Hoggard has denied any wrongdoing by the musician.
In a statement posted to Twitter on Wednesday evening, Hoggard denied having ever engaged in any form of non-consensual sexual behaviour. But he apologized for what he described as his “reckless and dismissive” treatment of women over the last 13 years.
“To my many female fans, I want you to know that you deserve nothing but dignity and respect from every man in your life,” Hoggard said in the statement. “To the people that have always had faith in me… I am so sorry for letting you down. I promise to work every day to regain your respect. I know it won’t happen overnight.”
WATCH: Hedley singer Jacob Hoggard denies sexual assault allegations by Ottawa woman
The B.C.-born singer added that he plans to see out Hedley’s current tour, before “taking a serious step back.”
The band’s official Twitter account also posted a statement announcing that it will be taking a hiatus “to work on our personal relationships and who we are as individuals.”
Read Jacob Hoggard’s statement in full:
“It’s time to speak for myself, as I should have done from the beginning.
“In the face of multiple allegations, I have to speak out and address these concerns.
“I need to be completely clear: I have never engaged in non-consensual sexual behaviour in my life. Ever.
“However, over the last 13 years, I have behaved in a way that objectified women.
“The way I’ve treated women was reckless and dismissive of their feelings. I understand the significant harm that is caused not only to the women I interacted with, but to all women who are degraded by this type of behaviour. I have been careless and indifferent and I have no excuse. For this I am truly sorry.
“To my many female fans, I want you to know that you deserve nothing but dignity and respect from every man in your life.
“To the people that have always had faith in me, and the institutions and organizations that believed in me, I am so sorry for letting you down. I promise to work every day to regain your respect. I know it won’t happen overnight.
“I was given a position of leadership and power and I mishandled it. I will regret this for the rest of my life. I’ve let down my family, my friends, and so many fans. I’m sorry.
“It’s time for me to change. I’ve decided to step away from my career indefinitely. I will honour my commitments to this tour, then will be taking a serious step back in order to make real changes in my life, seek guidance from family and continue to grow and learn from the amazing women in my life. I’m asking for a chance to prove that I can be the man you thought I was, the man I was raised to be.”
WATCH: Hedley concert in Windsor, Ont. cancelled amid sexual misconduct allegations
Read Hedley’s statement in full:
“Over the past two weeks, there have been accusations made against us on social media and in the mainstream media. As a result, we as a band, and as an individuals, have been forced to take a long hard look in the mirror. No excuses are going to be made by any of us. We clearly have some soul-searching to do. That begins by us saying that we are truly sorry, as individuals and as a band, to anyone who has been negatively affected by our behaviour.
“We have unanimously decided to continue this tour to the end. Following this tour, Hedley will be taking an indefinite hiatus to work on our personal relationships and who we are as individuals.
“We have chosen to honour or commitment to this tour for our crew (who are like family to us), for the countless people that depend on this tour for their livelihood, our families, and most importantly, for our fans, who have supported us and believed in us from the very beginning.
“This has been the most difficult decision of our lives. To the people we have let down, we are truly sorry and we hope to one day earn your forgiveness. We will work every day of our lives to be better.
“We remain very proud of the music we’ve made and shared over the last 15 years. That music, and our relationship with our fans, will always be in our hearts, and will bond us together, forever.”
— With files from the Canadian Press