Geordie Greep Responds to Sexual Assault Allegations

On Saturday, Geordie Greep cancelled several stops of his US tour following an anonymous accusation of sexual misconduct made against the former Black Midi frontman. Outside his show in Vancouver last week, a man handed out flyers calling the singer a “rapist” and adding, “You know what you did this morning Oct 8th.” Taking the stage an hour and 40 minutes late, and without his backing band, Greep made a statement about the allegations before performing a solo set.

“Essentially, what happened last night, me and some of the band, we went out to some bars, we went out, we met people, and it ended up in a situation where, really late at a house party, I got the wrong end of the stick with someone who was there, and I made a move, and it didn’t come off,” Greep told the crowd, continuing, “I really quickly apologized, and it was a complete misunderstanding on my part, and I felt extremely bad, I feel extremely sorry, and extremely upset about the situation. I would never rape a woman. I’m not a rapist. It’s not how that went down.”

In a new, extensive report by Paste, Greep’s alleged victim, who goes by the pseudonym “Laura” in the article, spoke out for the first time about what happened. Laura told the publication that she met Greep and his touring keyboardist, Cameron Campbell, at a bar, where they befriended a woman named Katherine (a pseudonym). Laura claimed she mentioned being in an exclusive relationship multiple times and specifically recalls “saying it to [Greep] directly.” After the bar closed, Katherine suggested the group move to her apartment. During the walk, Greep “made inappropriate comments about homeless people,” according to Laura, and Campbell added that he also said off-putting things about “his opinion on race or gender or things like that,” which made the group uncomfortable.

“It got very late, I was very drunk, and I fell asleep on the couch,” Laura told Paste contributing news editor Tatiana Tenreyro. “I then woke up to him kissing me, and no, not just a peck. When I realized what was happening, I pushed him off of me and called him out on what he was doing. If I’d had a couple more drinks and didn’t wake up when I did, I don’t know what would have happened.”

Laura’s allegations were corroborated by Campbell, who immediately decided to leave the tour. Although he was not in the room when it happened, he heard Laura yell at Greep to “get off” her and rushed in along with her friends. After being kicked out of the apartment, Greep kept trying to return, at one point saying he was looking for his phone. “He tried to start downplaying it right there, saying that he only tried to give her a kiss on the cheek — which, again, if she’s asleep, that doesn’t really make it OK either way,” Campbell said.

Campbell added that he didn’t hear about the flyers until he was on his way to the airport. In her statement, Laura clarified that the male acquaintance distributed the flyers without her consent. She said, “To the person I trusted who distributed those flyers, to the guys that night who asked me many times if I was sure I was exclusive, to the man who kept calling me hot after I made it clear I wasn’t interested, to the men defending Geordie, to the ones saying I’m making stuff up for attention, to Geordie Greep who assaulted me – none of that was rape, but it was all rooted in misogyny.”

Paste‘s story includes long statements from both Laura and Campbell, and you can read it in full here. Following its publication, Greep posted the following statement on Instagram:

There have been articles in the press following my show in Vancouver on October 8 and I want to be very clear about what happened.

On the evening of October 7 a group of us were out in Vancouver. At some point in the evening, we met a group of people and continued the night with them. We ended up going to one of their apartments and were there until the early hours.

I fell asleep in an armchair and, at around 6am, woke up. One of the women in the group was on a sofa opposite me alongside three other people who were with us that night. Throughout the night I had – I now realise mistakenly and stupidly – believed that she was interested in me. I went over to her and leaned down to kiss her. I kissed her once and she immediately responded negatively and pushed me away. I apologised and stepped away. She was understandably upset and told me to leave. She told me she had been asleep, which to my great regret, I honestly did not realise. I left the apartment but returned a few minutes later as I realised I had not taken my phone. After collecting my phone I left.

I want to unreservedly apologise to her for what I did and for the distress and hurt I caused that night. It was a huge mistake. I feel awful about it and I am very sorry. I got it all wrong that night and I accept that. I understand the impact of my actions and take full accountability. I’m not trying to minimise what happened in any way and, again, all I can say is how sorry I am.

Greep’s bassist Dave Straw also responded to the story, writing in an Instagram story:

My heart breaks for Laura. I can’t even begin to express my disappointment and anger with Geordie for violating her bodily autonomy — there is no excuse for this, it should never have happened. And with the unnamed man who robbed her of her right to share her story on her terms.

Proud of Cameron for doing the right thing that night. Hopefully one day we won’t exist in a world where this is considered exemplary.

Drinking is no excuse. We have to be better.

Greep is still scheduled to embark on a European tour, which kicks off November 1 in the Netherlands, followed by shows in France, Spain, and Portugal.