Lingua Ignota accuses Daughters' Alexis Marshall of sexual and emotional abuse and assault
Kristin Hayter of Lingua Ignota has accused Alexis Marshall of Daughters of sexual and emotional abuse and assault in a lengthy new statement. It begins with a “summarizing statement,” which reads:
I was in an abusive relationship with Alexis Marshall from July 2019 through June 2021. I endured mental and emotional abuse and sexual abuse resulting in bodily harm. Alexis’ addiction to one-sided sex effected me in extreme ways. I was subjected to multiple sexual assaults/rapes where I was fully penetrated while sleeping without my consent, after I explicitly stated this was *not ok with me.* Alexis obtained consent through deception, manipulation, and coercion. Alexis used me for sexual gratification in situations where I was deeply uncomfortable but consented because I was terrified he would cheat on me or get upset if I didn’t do what he wanted. In one incident of objectifying, violent sex, Alexis caused a severe injury to my spine and did not stop when I told him I was hurt. This injury resulted in debilitating pain and physical incapacitation for months. I needed surgery to treat this injury, a massive lumbar disc herniation that created an emergency condition called Cauda Equina Syndrome, which threatened permanent loss of bladder and bowel function. Alexis continued to require constant sexual attention even though I was severely injured. I needed his support for the surgery but Alexis abandoned me 24 hours before my procedure. Alexis cheated on me emotionally and physically throughout our relationship and triangulated me with other sexual partners as a way to confuse, humiliate, and destabilize me. He always denied his behavior, and gaslit me when confronted with irrefutable proof.
Alexis sustained patterns of lying and manipulation to excuse his behavior; he blame-shifted, minimized, denied, and provoked me so that he could call me aggressive and crazy. He used my past of domestic violence against me to claim what he was doing wasn’t that bad because it was not physical battering. He was jealous and resentful of my professional relationships and isolated me from friends. He took advantage of me financially. He blamed me for everything that was wrong in his life.
His abusive behavior continued and in some ways worsened after he completed rehab for sex addiction and started working a twelve-step program. He lied about the terms of his recovery. He weaponized his recovery against me and blamed me for not being able to get well.
As a result of his ongoing abuse I attempted suicide in December 2020 in the basement of our home. Alexis’ response to my suicide attempt was cold and unfeeling. Meanwhile, Alexis used threats of suicide and self-harm to manipulate me often, such as when I told him I needed to cut contact with him for my own well-being, or when I confronted him about lying.
After our breakup, I learned about Alexis’ long history of predatory and abusive/exploitative behavior towards women, for which he is well-known in certain areas, and which has been corroborated by multiple people including a long-term ex-partner. These incidents range from sexual misconduct and sexual relationships with subordinates at work, sexual harassment, ultimatums, and sexual assault. Multiple peers and women performers have spoken to me about uncomfortable experiences with him. Alexis establishes trust with vulnerable women and then exploits them sexually. I learned that this behavior continued throughout our relationship and after he entered recovery.
As a result of this relationship my quality of life decreased significantly. I suffered enormous psychological and physical damage. I continue to do physical therapy to treat ongoing issues with my spine and am in intensive therapy.
A “comprehensive statement” follows, which you can read in full here.
Hayter shares her statement following an interview with Anthony Fantano where they discuss the allegations, and she says her most recent album, this year’s Sinner Get Ready, was written about them. She had also accused Marshall of being “an abuser” on Twitter in October, after being asked, “Did it not work out with Alexis?”
“Alexis is an abuser, so that’s one way to put it,” she replied at the time, continuing, “It is not a joke. I wrote the record about it. I’m not in a place mentally where I’m able to fully take this on but his reputation isn’t exactly a secret in the music industry. Time will reveal.”
“I am not well and am totally traumatized, and am doing a lot of work to heal,” Hayter continued during the exchange. “When I do speak about my experience I will come from a place of clarity and strength, and not the sidelines of Twitter, but I’m also tired of staying quiet when he’s brought up all the time.”
Marshall has not made a statement in response at this time. UPDATE: Marshall has now responded with a statement of his own. It reads:
I absolutely did not engage in any form of abusive behavior towards Kristin. Kristin is a person that I loved and cared deeply for, however, our relationship was unhealthy for both of us. I can assure anyone reading this that I absolutely did not abuse her, mentally or physically. I am investigating legal options.
Daughters also posted a message on their Patreon earlier this month saying they were “pressing pause on Daughters activity for the immediate future, that includes Patreon & the two NYC shows at Le Poisson Rouge in January.”
UPDATE 2: Sargent House, which has worked with Daughters, Marshall, and Lingua Ignota, wrote on Twitter that they stopped working with Marshall in August. “We ceased working with Alexis Marshall back in August,” they write. “We made no public statement at that time because we wanted to respect Kristin’s privacy and her timeline for when she felt ready to come forward. She has now and we continue to stand in solidarity with her.”
