NOTE: This article contains sexually explicit language that some readers may find offensive and disturbing.
UPDATE 6/28 4:07 p.m. ET:
Maynard James Keenan has responded to the sexual assault allegations via his Twitter account. He calls the rape accusation a “despicable false claim.”
ORIGINAL ARTICLE:
Maynard James Keenan, the frontman of alternative band Tool, has been accused of rape by a woman who says he sexually assaulted her in his tour bus in 2000. She claims that she was 17 years old at the time.
Keenan has not made any public statement about the accusation, nor has any band member. He has not been charged with any crime, and as of this writing these allegations have not been proven or corroborated.
The anonymous Twitter user, @IWas17HeWas36, posted her story last Friday.
In her Twitter thread, the woman describes attending a A Perfect Circle/Nine Inch Nails concert with her boyfriend, and they were near the stage. Keenan, also the lead singer for opening band APC, allegedly spotted her in the crowd while performing and sent one of his crew members to go get her from the audience. Keenan would have been 36 years old at the time.
According to the woman, he then led her to his tour bus, where he put on Johnny Depp movie Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, and then allegedly raped her. She claims she was so shocked she was unable to move.
“There was no consent made,” she wrote. “I was not high. I was clean. He did not seduce me, he forced me, quickly taking advantage of my paralyzed state.”
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She then says that Keenan gave her HPV during their encounter since he didn’t wear a condom.
Later on, she says that she learned from a friend that Keenan is allegedly known for this type of backstage behaviour. Other users and commenters piled on to support that claim, saying that he’s known to sleep with fans. Others accused Keenan of having a proclivity for much younger women.
After intense backlash from Tool and Keenan fans — the band’s legions of fans are notoriously die-hard — the anonymous user claimed she was no longer replying to her Twitter thread, and said that other women had written to her about their own personal experiences with Keenan. She solicited other women with stories to contact her.
These aren’t the first accusations of a sexual nature against Keenan. In 2015, a Reddit user says she too was invited back to his trailer to “watch movies” and she left once he exposed his penis to her.
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“Well, yeah,” he said. “But you don’t care because you’re having fun. And then when you finally wake up, you realize that this is not for me, this is not where I’m supposed to be, and this is not gonna help anyone.”
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If you or someone you know is in crisis and needs help, resources are available. In case of an emergency, please call 911 for immediate help.
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.