Warning: This article may be triggering for some readers. Please read at your own discretion.
Simple Plan’s David Desrosiers has announced that he is leaving the Canadian band following sexual misconduct allegations from women on social media.
The former bassist for Simple Plan, who has been with the band for 20 years except for a brief two-year hiatus in 2017, took to Instagram on Thursday to announce his departure from the band.
“Recent public statements have led me to acknowledge that some of the interactions I have had with women have caused them harm,” said Desrosiers, 39, in the post.
“I have decided to withdraw from the band and seek professional help to educate myself and act appropriately in the future.”
“I am truly sorry for the harm I have caused to these women,” he added.
Simple Plan’s official Instagram account also announce the news on Thursday.
“Following recent public statements, David Desrosiers is withdrawing from the band in order to work on his personal issues. We offer our deepest apologies to the women who were hurt by his actions,” the statement said.
“We are also sorry for all our fans who are disappointed by this regretful situation. We will, as a band, take time to pause, reflect and put in place guidelines to prevent similar situations from happening.”
The sexual misconduct allegations against Desrosiers come from an Instagram account called, “victims_voices_montreal, which was created to be “a voice and safe platform to those who have felt danger, shame and invalidation in regards to their trauma at the hands of others.”
One of the anonymous statements alleged that Desrosier “picks his prey out of his band’s fans, so they shut up and believe that the way he treats them is normal.”
“He plays by threat, threatening to stop a fan from going to a show or make her leave the venue if she is there and has done something he doesn’t like,” the statement added.
“I know there are dozens of girls he has treated like this who are afraid to talk about it because he is in a big band.”
The post also said that the 39-year-old bassist “started making inappropriate jokes when I was a minor. Once I became of legal age he started pursuing me for sex.”
https://www.instagram.com/p/CCY7c3ahoyK/
The Instagram post was added to Reddit, where more people began to come out with sexual misconduct allegations against Desrosiers.
“He was ridiculously flirty/handsy with her and even though she was totally a fan, it still felt uncomfortable,” a Reddit user wrote on the thread.
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.
Are you or someone you know experiencing abuse? Visit the Department of Justice’s Victim Services Directory for a list of support services in your area.
Women, trans and non-binary people can find an additional list of resources here.
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