Okeechobee Festival 2018 - Friday
Bassnectar at Okeechobee 2018 (photo by Keith Griner)

Bassnectar responds to sexual misconduct "rumors"

UPDATE: Bassnectar says he’s “stepping back from” his career after the sexual misconduct “rumors.”

Bassnectar has responded to multiple allegations of sexual misconduct that have surfaced against him on social media, Your EDM reports. He appears to have issued a statement in a private Facebook fan group, and screenshots of his statement have been circulating on Twitter. His statement begins:

The rumors of sexual misconduct that are circulating about me are completely untrue. I want to leave it at that, because it truly is that simple. I have never been involved in anything that was not absolutely, unequivocally consensual. During a time when high profile men are being called out for their violence against women, I am proud to be an ally of women and stand in solidarity with victims. Thank you to all those who are listening to real victims of abuse and standing to support women.

He later adds, “I have learned to recognize that just because I have have never intentionally harmed a woman, there are ways that I could cause unintentional harm and I want to take responsibility for that.

He then writes:

In my 20s and 30s I was traveling constantly, and never felt like I had a permanent home. Most of the women I met were younger than me and in college, which at the time this did not seem strange or wrong or creepy. We had a lot of fun together, and in most cases we shared a beautiful connection or lasting friendship. Looking back now, I simply wish I had never opened up to anyone I met on the road, because any relationship in that context had the potential to get complicated, misconstrued, or cause unintentional emotional harm to others.

He then adds, “If there are any previous partners who feel slighted or harbor regret, I am completely available for discussion, learning, and potential healing or to help connect you with others for support.”

He also says that his team will be “offering a free therapy session specifically for anyone who feels like they need support and don’t know how to get it. For the next month, anyone who needs this support [even if you have a friend who needs the support and you want to do this on their behalf] we encourage you to reach out to [email protected] where only the women on our team will read and reply. She will help link you with a therapist to discuss your story of abuse and perhaps also to build aa long term plan for how you want to address it with friends or family or loved ones – or whatever you need.”

Bassnectar also adds that he chose to post this in a private fan group “because this is the core of the community: we respect you immensely. We know you wanted to hear about what was going on, and we have gone to great lengths to avoid calling anyone out.”

You can see the alleged screenshots of Bassnectar’s full statement below:

UPDATE: Bassnectar says he’s “stepping back from” his career after the sexual misconduct “rumors.”