Zoppa 1

Matt Zoppa

Dr. O’Rourke

English 106

14 December 2017

Silence No More: Unraveling Sexual Violence in the Music Industry

Music is one of the most venerable and expansive forms of entertainment and art. It

defines cultures, decorates films, motivates personal fitness, livens up public areas, and even

facilitates dancing and substance use to ‘let loose and have a good time’. While music may

accompany many enjoyable experiences in our lives, there is a festering darkness that lies behind

much of what we hear on our playlists: sexual violence. For at least half a century, these vile acts

of dominance and exploitation have silently plagued the music industry (Sir Tom Jones).

Fortunately, the numerous accusations against film mogul Harvey Weinstein appear to have

sparked a movement by victims to expose these crimes and their abusers. While pertinent,

individual accusations published through mainstream and social media alone do not reveal the

full extent that sexual violence ravages this industry. By analyzing the origins of these crimes,

motivations of the perpetrators, and lingering silence of the victims as well as those who are

knowledgeable, a comprehensive understanding and addressment of sexual violence in the music

industry is accomplished.

What Is Sexual Violence? 

Determining what qualifies as sexual violence has become quite the predicament due to a

lack of universal agreement. However, many scholars concur that it includes any sort of
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“...unwanted or unlawful...” sexual advances (Graphia). Given this, it acts as an umbrella for

offenses such as sexual harassment, sexual assault, and human sex trafficking.

Each of these offenses affect an astonishing number of women. According to research

from the CDC, 20% of women will be raped at least once (Black, et al. 1). In the workplace

alone, “…one study of employed women found that 38% had experienced sexual harassment…”

(United States 2). Additionally, approximately 3.8 million adults were human sex trafficking

victims in 2016; nearly all of them were female (International Labour Organization 9). While

there are adult male victims, their abuse is not as prevalent in comparison to female victims

(United States 2; International Labour Organization 9; Black, et al. 1). Therefore, male adult

victims will not receive as much attention in the course of this research.

Even more devastating than the frequency of sexual violence is its impact on victims. It

has been reported that 50% to 95% of rape victims have experienced PTSD. Experts also have

discovered that half of female victims found themselves unemployed because of how detrimental

their rape experience was (United States 2).

Specifically with music industry, the frequency and effects of sexual violence contradict

popular thought and statistics. The movement to out sexual predators is unprecedented; a year

ago, there wouldn’t have been enough evidence to conduct thorough research. This is one

explanation why sexual violence in the music industry appears to have been neglected by

researchers. In fact, the National Sexual Violence Center does not provide a single resource on

the sexual violence in the entertainment industry1, yet has five for the farming industry (Sexual

1
For the purposes of this research, the entertainment industry comprises all forms of entertainment including film,
music, television, and comedy. The focus of this research is on the music industry. However, given the close ties
between the music and film industry information from other aspects of the entertainment industry may be used as
supportive material
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Violence and the Workplace). Furthermore, there is a major lack of scientific and statistical

information to explain the issue’s magnitude and effects. However, we do have a multitude of

relevant sources that provide further insight on this epidemic.

Is This Business Even About Music? 

While what occurs in the film industry concerning sexual violence has been made very

apparent by the mainstream media, the issue within the music industry has not. So what exactly

is going on? Well, we have artists sexually assaulting their band members, as seen with Ethan

Kath and Alice Glass of electronic duo Crystal Castles (“Alice Glass accuses”). We have

publicist Kirt Webster, who has worked with stars such as Dolly Parton and Lynyrd Skynyrd,

assaulting both his artists and employees (Whitaker; Garcia and Paulson). We also have the

frontman of a B-list rock band sexually exploiting minors (Yoo).

Possibly the most extreme description of the horrors in the industry comes from former

Pussycat Dolls singer Kaya Jones, who claims she was in a “prostitution ring” (“My truth.I

wasn’t in a girl group”). Since it was discovered that Harvey Weinstein hired ex-Mossad agents

to “...stop the publication of [his] abuse allegations...”, threats of that intensity appear plausible

(Farrow). However, this is just a small snippet of the crimes that cover the music industry.

It doesn’t appear to be too much of a surprise to some of the most prominent figures.

While he hasn’t personally encountered it, Ed Sheeran was confident that sexual violence occurs

in both music and film (Garrido). But why? Well, one of the most common forms of sexual

violence in the industry comes via the ‘casting couch’. Essentially, in order to receive a new

position, sexual acts are required. Manager Sarah Bowden explained one instance where she was
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offered a new job opportunity that would be attainable only if she slept with a supervisor. Her

refusal to do so resulted in the termination of her employment (Clare). Rolling Stone founder

Jann Wenner has been accused of engaging in similar practices as he allegedly assaulted a

journalist while promising a contract for 25 articles (Georgantopoulos). This appears to be part

of the power structure in the entertainment industry; members are rewarded for sleeping with

producers and executives, instead of hard work and creativity.

Although a significant amount of these issues are found within popular music, other

genres of music also have their fair share of sexual violence. Berklee College of Music, one of

the finest music institutions in the world, recently announced it has dismissed eleven professors

within the past thirteen years for sexual abuse and harassment (Larimer). In comparison to

Elmhurst College’s music department, this would be equivalent to terminating the employment

of all but one of their full-time faculty. Four of Berklee’s terminated professors were jazz

musicians; one of them has performed with Wynton Marsalis and Elvin Jones, while another has

worked with the likes of Herbie Hancock and Dizzy Gillespie (Lazar; Steve Kirby - About; Greg

Osby - Biography; Nicholson). Given the prestige of these professors and their peers, it's unclear

at this point whether or not these incidents were relevant to higher education, the music industry,

or both.

Classical music isn’t evading sexual violence either. According to a very recent study

from the Incorporated Society of Musicians, “Some 60 percent of [classical musicians] said they

had experienced discrimination of some sort, with the majority reporting it took the form of

sexual harassment” (Harding). Some of this has already been publicly visible. In 2011,

Oscar-winning composer Joseph Brooks committed suicide over allegations of sexually

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assaulting thirteen women that he had promised a role in his film (Goldstein). Six years later,

opera music responded to the ‘Weinstein effect’ as the Metropolitan Opera’s conductor was

accused of sexually abusing minors, and an American singer recounted sexual harassment from

several men; one of them was said to be of high regard and stature (Cooper; Mentzer).

Unfortunately, this type of behavior knows no borders; 653 Swedish singers have also alleged

sexual violence from “…powerful men in the classical music industry” (Chapple). It is unknown

what genre these women work within, but almost 2,000 additional Swedish industry members

have come forward as victims of sexual violence as well (Ingham). Claiming that sexual violence

plagues the entire music industry may even be an understatement itself; it is truly everywhere.

Hidden in Plain Sight 

Looking back, the current mass hysteria about sexual violence in the entertainment

industry is quite puzzling. The truth of the matter is that it’s been publicly acknowledged for

decades. In 1979, rock group the Eagles recorded the song “King of Hollywood”. Members

Glenn Frey and Don Henley sing the following in the second verse:

Come sit down here beside me, honey.

Let's have a little heart to heart.

Now look at me and tell me, darlin',

how badly do you want this part?

Are you willing to sacrifice?

And are you willing to be real nice?

All your talent and my good taste,

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I'd hate to see it go to waste (Eagles).

The lyrics are detailing the same casting couch horrors that many stars today have revealed.

Were Henley and Frey recounting stories they’ve heard, or rather discreetly hinting at crimes on

a more personal level? The Eagles have been one of the most successful musical acts selling

more than 150 million records since their inception (Savage). It appears it didn’t take too long

for that success to get the best of them. In 1980, a party at Henley’s residence went awry when a

16 year old prostitute overdosed. The incident resulted in Henley being charged with

“...contributing to the delinquency of a minor…” (Lester). Henley himself admits to calling a

madam, yet denies knowing her age as well as having sex with her (Connelly). How did he not

know she was a minor, and how likely is it that he didn’t take advantage of the service he paid

for (i.e. have sex with the prostitute that happened to be underage)? That still remains a mystery.

Compiling onto the suspiciousness is the background of an investigator in this case.

Detective Michael Brambles was a member of the Los Angeles Police Department’s Sexually

Exploited Unit (which arrived at the scene first), and was tasked with chasing leads on the 16

year old girl found in Henley’s residence (Lieberman and Hubler; Loder). Brambles’ “golden

boy” reputation didn’t hold up for too long after he was convicted of robbing multiple L.A.

businesses and sexually assaulting female employees over the course of four months. Prior to

this, he was accused by another detective of rigging a phone lineup of potential suspects

(Abrahamson and Lieberman). It wouldn’t be the first time law enforcement has covered up

crimes of pedophilia; it happened to Corey Feldman when he reported his abusers to the Santa

Barbara police in 1993 (Corey Feldman Opens Up 05:05-05:40). The department maintained that

no evidence existed of Feldman reporting these abusers, until December 2017 when they
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discovered recordings which were turned over to the LAPD (Puente). Given the questions that

still remain in regard to this 1980 incident, perhaps the true ‘King of Hollywood’ is Henley

himself.

The Eagles aren’t the only ones to highlight sexual violence in the industry. In fact, three

years earlier, “Somewhere in Hollywood” captures the essence of this, opening with “Down on

the casting couch, a star is gonna be born” (10cc). Rock legend Tom Petty also lashed out against

the industry in 2002, recording a song about a fictitious music executive named Joe. In the

portrayal of Joe, Petty sings “...bring me a girl, they’re always the best. You put ‘em on stage and

you have ‘em undress” (Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers).

One Thing Leads to Another 

Just as insightful as lyrics are music videos. Often found in these films is sexual

objectification, or rather “...the experience of being treated as a body...valued predominantly for

its use to (or consumption by) others” (qtd. In Aubrey and Frisby 479). Just like sexual violence,

victims of sexual objectification are predominantly women. After analyzing 147 Top 10 music

videos, two University of Missouri professors established that females are objectified much more

frequently than males, and that objectification is more prominent in R&B/hip hop music than

pop and country (487-492). Although R&B/hip hop artists are predominantly black, the two

professors argued in another study about objectification in music videos that “Black and White

artists did not differ from each other on any of the variables except for sexually provocative

dress” (Frisby and Aubrey 81). Therefore, objectification in this industry does not appear to be

fueled by racism, but rather power over women.

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How is this relevant? Two professors from University of Nebraska-Lincoln argue that

objectification is the direct source of sexual violence. They say that “people who objectify

women will be more prone toward aggression against women”, and being exposed to

objectification will eventually numb society down to the point where it is accepted (Gervais and

Eagan 228). Their claims aren’t quite far-fetched at all. In fact, if we were to take this link and

fuse it with the research of Aubrey and Frisby, it’s obvious why some of hip hop’s top figures

including Russell Simmons, Jimmy Iovine, and R. Kelly have been accused of sexual violence

(Newman; Wow for a second).

It’s also apparent why multiple music video directors are under scrutiny for alleged abuse

as well. Aside from the Rush Hour film series and X-Men: The Last Stand, Brett Ratner has

directed videos for stars as big as Miley Cyrus and Mariah Carey (Vena). All that success has

been set into the shadows as ten women have come out and accused him of sexual violence

(Kaufman, Amy, et al). Photographer Terry Richardson is one of the newest members of the club

of abusers as it was revealed that he is the “focus of a new investigation by the NYPD's Special

Victims Squad” (Niemetz and Dillon). While Richardson is most known for his photography, he

also directed the highly objectifying and controversial music video for the Miley Cyrus song,

“Wrecking Ball”, which features Cyrus wearing nothing but “a pair of cherry red Doc Martens”

(Scharf).

There’s two intriguing side bits about Carey and Cyrus in relation to Ratner and

Richardson. According to Ratner, he has been friends with Carey for over twenty years (Malkin).

Carey has alluded to facing sexual violence herself during her career, but refrained from

providing specifics. Given the close relationship between the two celebrities and Ratner’s
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numerous number of accusers, was Carey also one of Ratner’s victims? The point of this

question, as well as future questions is not to stir up drama and draw out wacky conspiracy

theories, but rather to highlight how this is a problem that involves thousands of household

names. Not knowing the truth allows us to unknowingly applaud rapists and abusers.

Continuing on to Cyrus and Richardson, singer Sinead O’Connor had the following to

say in reaction to Cyrus’ “Wrecking Ball” video:

They will prostitute you for all you are worth, and cleverly make you think it’s what

YOU wanted and when you end up in rehab as a result of being prostituted, ‘they’ will be

sunning themselves on their yachts in Antigua, which they bought by selling your body

and you will find yourself very alone (Monde and Brown).

One may assume this came in the midst of the Weinstein effect. However, O'Connor wrote this

four years prior. O’Connor is notable for her criticism of the Catholic Church’s child sex abuse

scandal during a performance on Saturday Night Live. However, it appears she was ignored (and

even attacked after the SNL incident) both in 1992 and 2013. Will the public start listening now,

or is the Weinstein effect just a short-lived phase?

Nevertheless, given the objectifying nature of both Ratner’s and Richardson’s work, there

appears to be merit to Gervais’s and Egan’s claim.

Silence For So Long 

In the midst of the what is being referred to as the ‘Weinstein effect’, data suggesting that

half of female rape victims become unemployed conflicts with how many performers have

actually remained in the industry (United States 2). Based on my own findings concerning those
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who have spoken up, it appears only two victims have left the industry2. So why have so many

stayed and remained silent? One explanation is career blacklisting. Punk rock vocalist Jessicka

Addams has admitted to being raped by Marilyn Manson bassist Jeordie White (known on-stage

as Twiggy Ramirez). More relevant are the post-rape threats she received from her label, Risk

Records:

In 1997, I was warned by my band’s record company that if I revealed my story

[publicly] there would be a very good chance that my band Jack Off Jill would be black

balled by concert promoters, radio programmers, and other bands and their managers.

Jack Off Jill was also warned of running the risk of losing our coveted record deal (which

they gave us!! (Addams).

Addams doesn’t appear to be the only one threatened by the power of sexual predators. Kaya

Jones of the Pussycat Dolls says that she was forced until silence under threats of career loss, or

even death (“Why don’t we report it”). Singer Kelly Clarkson also claims she was coerced by her

record label to work with producer Dr. Luke (Goodman). Luke is infamously known for

allegations of sexual abuse from pop star Kesha. Although Clarkson denies being assaulted by

Luke, the massive power of record labels over artists appears to be at the crux of this issue;

artists are forced by labels to work with sexual predators and keep quiet about their crimes.

Another factor of prolonged silence comes with the firm assumption that sexual violence

is a widespread practice throughout the industry. According to three studies conducted by

professors throughout the nation, employees were found less likely to report unethical behavior

when their co-workers engage in it as well as when they view both their co-workers and

2
See Table A
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supervisors as unethical (Guest). Given new revelations from the music industry, these studies

suggest that so many members were committing acts of sexual violence that no one felt the

courage to speak up. It also reveals that many industry members did not see much genuinity in

their peers.

The other likely restraint on exposing the horrors in this industry is the legal system. For

victims and bystanders alike, there appears to be many roadblocks and concerns behind pursuing

claims about such high profile subjects. When discussing the staggering 310 sexual harassment

allegations against director James Toback, director James Gunn explained, “...sharing

secondhand stories is legally complicated, and could open me to being sued” (Gunn; Madani).

There is merit to this. At the very least, Gunn could be sued for defamation due to negligence in

publishing false or unverifiable hearsay (negligence, defamation).

For artists, the struggle to tell the truth is even greater. Kesha, who is a recording artist at

the Sony-owned Kemosabe Records, experienced this two years after claiming Dr. Luke raped

her when a judge dismissed her claims of sexual abuse due to the statute of limitations (Gottwald

et al. v. Sebert). It’s also important to note that the judge’s husband is a partner in Sony’s legal

firm, so nepotism and corruption could be possible in this case (Vincent). Nevertheless, the

statute of limitations deters both speaking up and justice.

“It’s Okay When You’re Famous” 

Many may argue that sexual violence really isn’t a problem in the industry; the lack of

condemnation before the ‘Weinstein effect’ suggests that to be true. One of the clearest examples

explores the pedophilic record of R&B artist R. Kelly. When he was 27 years old, he married 15
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year old vocalist Aaliyah. Soon after, he was sued by three women who had sex with him while

they were minors, one of which was encouraged to participate in group sex at age 15. He has also

been charged with 14 counts of child pornography in his lifetime, videotaped urinating in the

mouth of a 14 year old’s mouth, and running a sex cult (Newman). Nevertheless, R. Kelly’s

public reception as an artist and person appears to not be tainted in the slightest. He has still

managed to reach six No. 1 hits and fifteen Top 10 hits (R. Kelly Chart History). And how have

his fellow colleagues reacted to his crimes? Well, music industry legend Jimmy Iovine refers to

him as “...my favorite poet…”(Stutz). Gospel singer Marvin Sapp took it a step further and said

he refuses to condemn Kelly. Instead, he prays for Kelly no differently than he prays for his

victims (Carter). Meanwhile, it appears the likes of LL Cool J, Mary J. Blige, and Ellen

DeGeneres have no problem posing with a known pedophile at celebrity parties (@rkelly). When

the industry and consumers alike fail to condemn these crimes, it sends a message that there’s

nothing wrong with sexual violence. The problem will not disappear if the issue isn’t addressed

at all levels.

Of course, this isn’t the first time the members of the entertainment industry have done

this. Hollywood has had no issue defending film director and convicted child rapist Roman

Polanski. In fact, Meryl Streep and others gave him a standing ovation at the 74th Academy

Awards, Johnny Depp claimed that “Roman Polanski is not a predator”, and even though the

victim could not give consent because she was 13 years old, Whoopi Goldberg argued that what

Polanski did “...wasn’t rape-rape!” (Callahan; Weaver and agencies). Perhaps it's because people

like INXS guitarist Kirk Pengilly have said that they “...really loved the '60s and '70s when...you

could slap a woman on the butt (Kolovos). Or, maybe it has to do with the fact that Snoop Dogg
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confidently admitted to running a pimping business without any repercussions to his career

(Rolling Stone).

Not only have stars in the entertainment industry applauded known sexual predators, but

they’ve also defended them and attacked victims of whom have spoken up. Kesha suffered

criticism from nationally syndicated talk show host Wendy Williams for not speaking up soon

enough about her abuse, and Williams made an odd comment that “if everybody complained

because somebody allegedly sexually abused them..., contracts would be broken all the time”

(Police Boycotting Beyoncé’s Tour 4:24-5:00). Is she too pointing out that sexual abuse is all too

common in this industry? Possibly, but others still want to keep that a secret. When joining as a

guest on The View, former child star Corey Feldman was blasted by host Barbara Walters for

“damaging an entire industry” because of his outspokenness on pedophilia in the film industry

(Corey Feldman- Hollywood Pedophilia). About a month ago, he was met with this same

backlash from none other than Matt Lauer, who appeared highly skeptical of both Feldman’s

claims and plan to expose his abusers (Corey Feldman Opens Up 03:52-7:15). Ironically, Lauer

was just outed as a sexual predator himself. Is this the real reason why celebrities have failed to

disavow sexual violence?

Taking Down the Ring 

During the course of my research, I believe I have stumbled upon the existence of a

Hollywood sex abuse ring, comprising of high ranking members in the music industry. The

purpose of exploring is not to attack abusers or launch wild conspiracy theories; understanding

and tackling this issue will only come through exploring all valid possibilities. Breadcrumbs
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from former Pussycat Dolls singer Kaya Jones as well as established connections between

certain figures suggest that an organized ring does exist.

The disclosure of such a ring began with a string of tweets from Jones on October 13,

2017. One read, “My truth.I wasn’t in a girl group. I was in a prostitution ring.Oh & we

happened to sing & be famous. While everyone who owned us made the $” (“My truth.I wasn’t

in a girl group”). So who owned them? That would be Robin Antin, Jimmy Iovine, and Ron Fair.

All three served as executive producers on the group’s debut album, and Jones has utilized to the

words of Ellen Barkin (which were originally directed at Weinstein) to refer to them as “the

ultimate of starfuckers” whose only talent was exploiting others (PCD album artwork; “Wow for

a second”).

Robin Antin is known for her choreography, working with artists like Pink and Paris

Hilton (McDonald / Selznick Associates). While Antin has not been accused of engaging directly

in sexual abuse, Antin appears to an enabler and has been dubbed the “den mother from hell” by

Jones. The former Pussycat Doll expanded on this description by insinuating that the suicide of

one of Antin’s other girl stars, Simone Battle, was heavily influenced by emotional abuse from

Antin (“I want the den mother from hell”). Jones also alleges that Antin destroyed her baby

photos, as well as shamed her weight (“My den mother from hell; I’m sharing this because”).

However, allegations just are allegations. Coming from just one person, the extent of this

abuse may seem a bit far-fetched to some. However, she isn’t the only one to speak up about

issues in the group. Earlier this year, Jones’s former bandmate Kimberly Wyatt claimed that

“Record producers constantly watched us to make sure we weren’t putting on weight, and we

were made to be like anorexic aliens” (Duff). Their other bandmate Melody Thornton said she
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was just “imploding from the inside” during her time in the group (Melody Thornton reveals her

struggles). Now how is this relevant to the sexual abuse Jones’s faced? It’s just another facet of

the control that Antin, Iovine, and Fair imposed on the group. It was so horrific that they were

forced to perform sexual acts for anybody and were drugged as a method of blackmail (“Yes I

said leverage”; “To be apart of the team”). While Antin has a fairly clear public record, one of

Jones’s alleged abusers does not.

Jimmy Iovine is one of the most successful members of the music industry. He has

worked with the likes of John Lennon and Bruce Springsteen, headed Interscope Geffen A&M

Records, and co-founded Beats Electronics. However, based on comments from others as well as

his own words, there seems to be some merit behind Jones’s allegations against him. In an

interview on CBS This Morning, he revealed his sexist mindset when he said he’s “always

known that women find it very difficult at times...to find music” (Jimmy Iovine, Mary J. Blige

talk Apple Music's new ad 1:51-2:02). However, Iovine seems to be more than just sexist.

Members of The Black Eyed Peas were amused at a radio host’s jokes about Iovine’s sexual

behavior. Will.i.am was discussing concerns that the boyfriend of Jones’s former bandmate

Nicole Scherzinger had about her touring with the all-male (at the time) Black Eyed Peas,

prompting host Charlamagne tha God to suggest that Iovine would be more likely sexually prey

on Scherzinger than the group would (Black Eyed Peas Blow Our Minds 18:25-19:55). Their

laughter also indicates that Iovine’s behavior is no secret within the industry, further supporting

his alleged sexual abuse.

In one interview, Kaya Jones spoke of a specific instance of being sexually assaulted by a

music executive; he was in his 50s and she was either 19 or 20. Now she is 33 years old, which
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means the incident occurred in 2003 or 2004. Who was in his 50s then? Jimmy Iovine. Jones also

indicated that this happened after a show in Las Vegas (Gould). Interestingly enough, The

Pussycat Dolls performed at the 2004 VH1 Divas in Vegas. It featured many high profile artists,

and although it’s unknown if Iovine was present, two of Jones’s reported abusers Robin Antin

and Ron Fair were (Kravitz and Film Magic; VH1 Divas 2004). Also, it appears more

coincidental than relevant, but alleged sexual violence victims Sir Tom Jones and Antonia Jenae

were also performers at this show (VH1 Divas 2004; For Medicinal Purposes). Additionally,

Iovine’s praise for known pedophile R. Kelly raises many red flags about the famed producer

(Stutz).

Jones’s alleged other abuser is Ron Fair. In addition to his work with The Pussycat Dolls,

he has held roles as chairman of Geffen Records and CCO of Virgins Records. Despite working

with stars like Lady Gaga and Christina Aguilera, Fair has managed to stay out of the public

spotlight and hasn’t been entrenched with any prior scandals (David). However, one can only

wonder whether there are other artists he can work with that are also victims.

The third member of this purported sex ring is Def Jam Recordings co-founder Russell

Simmons. He took advantage of the casting couch, assaulting a 17 year old model while

filmmaker and sexual predator Brett Ratner looked on (Kaufman, et al.). He also has been

accused of assaulting screenwriter Jenny Lumet, prompting him to step down from his business

ventures (Lumet). Most recently, nine more women have accused him of abusing them

(Coscarelli and Ryzik; Miller, et al.). Simmons appears to have a close relationship with Jimmy

Iovine, acknowledging him in one of his books, and posing with him at numerous parties

(Mazur; McIntyre; McMullan; Simmons and Morrow 331; Ziyadat).

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Joining Simmons is L.A. Reid. Reid was dismissed from Sony’s Epic Records after

accusations of sexual harassment in order to “avoid another Kesha situation”. Prior to working

with Epic, he was chief executive of Universal’s Island Def Jam Music Group, which includes

Simmons’ Def Jam Recordings (Halperin). Reid appeared to work with Simmons in some

capacity; Reid announced the launch of the Russell Simmons Music Group, while Simmons

called Reid to sign an artist to that label (Gries; Russell Simmons Music Group/Def Jam Records

introduces ‘LEE CARR’). Even more telling is the fact that one of Simmons’ accusers has also

accused Reid (Coscarelli and Ryzik). While Reid’s accusations have been limited to harassment,

his involvement in such a sex ring should not be overlooked at the moment.

The fifth alleged member is Sir Richard Branson. Branson is the founder of both Virgin

Records and V2 Records, and was recently accused of sexually assaulting Joss Stone’s backing

vocalist Antonia Janae (Beale, James, et al.). Although he claims that he doesn’t remember the

event, it’s interesting to note that he is listed in the “black book” of convicted billionaire

pedophile Jeffrey Epstein (Riley; Lewis and Swaine). This book is believed to contain Epstein’s

sexual behavior with underage girls, as well as the contact information of his elite friends. There

is no known evidence pointing to the involvement that these contacts had in Epstein’s illegal

activities, but the book was so sought for that Epstein’s butler stole it and was convicted for

attempting to sell it (Eleftheriou-Smith).

What is the common tie between all five men? Each of the labels they have been

prominent figures at (Interscope Geffen A&M, Virgin Records, Def Jam Recordings, Geffen

Records) are owned by Universal Music Group (Our Labels & Brands - UMG). It shouldn’t

come to any surprise though as Universal has a history of immoral and illegal activities. In 2013,
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the corporation was sued by a former security guard who alleged that the west coast office was

infiltrated with massive drug use and sexual activity. She also detailed a scenario involving

Jimmy Iovine and American Idol participants where “guests of [Universal Music Publishing

Group were] smoking marijuana” (Jane Doe vs Universal Protection Services, et al.). The

company was also forced by the New York attorney general to fork over $12 million after

bribing radio stations to play their catalogue (Leeds). In the near future, sex crimes at the highest

levels of this corporation may be added on to the list.

What we have here is five high profile executives from labels owned by Universal Music

Group being accused of sexual violence. This is accompanied by a multitude of information that

further legitimizes the accusations as well as establishes some connections between these men.

However, other than Kaya Jones’s claim that she was in a prostitution ring, there is no direct

evidence to prove that such a sex ring exists nor that all of these men are jointly involved.

Nevertheless, it would be wise and just for professionals and law enforcement alike to further

investigate in an effort to eradicate sexual violence from this industry.

The War Goes On 

Sexual violence is overwhelmingly the gravest matter within the music industry today.

On the most basic level, it is evident through objectification in music videos. This approach of

treating women like toys comes to life through the abusive behavior of producers, executives,

and performers themselves. Contrary to mainstream media narratives, that behavior is not limited

to Hollywood; it comprises multiple facets and genres of music. What many have failed to

realize is that this problem has been visible for decades, both through lyrics and the outing of
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sexual predators years before allegations against Harvey Weinstein surfaced. Yet, Hollywood has

massively failed in addressing this issue as they’ve shamed victims and defended abusers. Until

now, this has been viewed as a problem of individual predators with like-minded behaviors.

Perhaps considering the possibility that multiple industry elites are working together to abuse

women will provide a clearer understanding of the stains beneath our playlists.

Even given all of this information, it is too soon to pinpoint the exact nature and intent of

these crimes. Prior to the Weinstein effect (and even to this day), there is a major lack of

scientific information from scholars and government agencies to correctly and precisely identify

the extent to which sexual violence ravages the music industry. Further investigation and study is

required if a solution is to be reached.

 Zoppa 20

Table A

The purpose of this table is to compile a list of music industry members who have been accused of engaging in or
enabling sexual violence. The data is based on media reports and does not reflect convictions nor every accusation.
Not all cases have been confirmed via law enforcement or alleged assailants. However, out of respect of the victims,
and to produce comprehensive data, all allegations will be listed. Allegations are listed in no particular order. Not all
victims are music industry members.
The “active” column only applies to victims who are still performing after being abused.

Alleged Occupation Victim Occupation Active? Source (see

Assailant Works Cited)

Nick Carter Singer in Melissa Pop singer, Yes Feldman

Backstreet Boys Schuman former member
of Dream

Jimmy Iovine3 Producer, Kaya Jones Pop singer, Yes Wow for a
Former former member second
Chairman of of The Pussycat
IGA Records Dolls

Ron Fair4 Producer “ “ Yes Wow for a

second

Robin Antin5 Choegrapher “ “ Yes Wow for a

second

Unknown N/A Tom Jones Pop rock singer Yes Sir Tom Jones

3
Has not been directly accused by Jones. See tweet from October 15, 2017 at 1:28 p.m in Works Cited
4
“
5
Accused of being a sexual abuse enabler
 Zoppa 21

Dr. Luke Producer Kesha Pop singer Yes Gottwald et al.

v. Sebert;
Vincent

Jeordie White Bassist for Jessicka Singer of Yes Addams

(Twiggy Marilyn Manson Addams Scarling, former
Ramirez) frontwoman of
Jack Off Jill

Jann Wenner Founder of Ben Ryan Journalist N/A Georgantopoulo

Rolling Stone s

Ramsay Tha Rapper, Unknown6 N/A N/A Burke

Great producer

Unknown N/A Meghan Linsey Country Yes Parker

singer-songwrite
r, runner-up on
Season 2 of The
Voice

Unknown Manager Jana Kramer Country singer, Yes Pajer

actress on One
Tree Hill

Kirt Webster Country music Austin Rick Former country No Garcia and
publicist (Austin Cody) singer Paulson;
Whitaker

Unknown Radio DJ Katie Armiger Country singer TBD7 Savitsky

6
Identities of the victims he pimped were not disclosed
7
Armiger claims to have been blacklisted from the country music industry, but has not decided to quit herself
 Zoppa 22

Pete O’Heeron8 Head of Cold Katie Armiger “ “ Savitsky; Weeks

River Records

David Mueller Radio DJ Taylor Swift Country pop Yes Sblendorio and
singer Feldman

Russell Co-founder of Keri Claussen Model N/A Kaufman;

Simmons Def Jam Khalighi Lumet
Recordings

Brett Ratner Film, TV, and Multiple9 N/A N/A Kaufman

Music Video
producer

Unknown Top executive at Multiple N/A N/A Hu

Warner Music
Sweden

Unknown Venue Brittany Lyne Social Media N/A Alam

employees Rudyck Manager for The
and/or Needle Vinyl
management at Tavern
The Needle
Vinyl Tavern

Sam Valenia Guitarist of Unknown N/A N/A Sallan

Filipino band
Jensen and the
Flips

Jensen Gomez Frontman of Adrienne Onday Sociology N/A Sallan

Filipino band student,
Jensen and the journalist
Flips

8
O’Heeron has not been accused of direct sexual abuse or harassment, however is an alleged enabler
9
No victims thus far were members of the music industry. Given Ratner’s extensive work on music videos, it is
possible and probable that some victims are.
 Zoppa 23

R. Kelly R&B artist Multiple N/A N/A Newman

Unknown N/A Mariah Carey Pop singer Yes Baillie

Sean Carlson Founder of FYF Multiple N/A N/A Flanagan

Fest

Ethan Kath Member of Alice Glass Former member Yes Alice Glass
electronic group of electronic accuses
Crystal Castles group Crystal
Castles

Matt Mondanile  Guitarist for Multiple N/A N/A Cush

indie rock bands
Real Estate and
Ducktails

Alex Calder Singer-songwrit Unknown N/A N/A Rettig

er

Gene Simmons Bassist and Unknown Female N/A Gene Simmons

co-founder of employees at banned
KISS Fox News

Evan Stephens Frontman of Unknown N/A N/A Britton

Hall indie rock band
Pinegrove

Jesse Lacey Frontman of Multiple N/A N/A Yoo

alternative rock
band Brand New
 Zoppa 24

Stephen Former chief Unknown N/A N/A Kelly

Blackwell strategy officer
at Billboard
Magazine

Joseph Brooks Film composer, Multiple N/A N/A Goldstein

director

Lou Pearlman Music mogul, Multiple N/A Yes Burrough

manager of
Backstreet Boys
and NSYNC

Unknown N/A Lance Bass Member of boy Yes Wagmeister

band NSYNC

Richard Branson Founder of Antonia Jenae Backing vocalist Yes Beale

Virgin Records for Joss Stone

Dieuson Octave Rapper Unknown N/A N/A Brown

(Kodak Black)

iAMSU! (Sudan Rapper Unknown N/A N/A Iasimone

Ameer
Williams)

Jay Ant Rapper Unknown N/A N/A Iasimone

Daniel Rapper Unknown N/A N/A Mench and

Hernandez Morel
(6ix9ine)
 Zoppa 25

Greg Osby Jazz Unknown Berklee student, Yes Lazar

saxophonist, professional
college musician
professor

Steve Kirby Jazz bassist, Multiple University of N/A Nicholson

college Manitoba
professor students

Jeff Galindo Jazz trombonist, Unknown Berklee student N/A Lazar

college
professor

Aruan Ortiz Jazz pianist, Unknown Berklee student N/A Lazar

college
professor

Unknown Opera singer Susanne Opera singer Yes Mentzer

Mentzer

Unknown Manager Sheryl Crow Singer Yes @SherylCrow

Unknown N/A Emma Lahana Singer No @emmaklahana

Unknown N/A Jeannie Ortega Singer Yes @jeannieortega

James Levine Metropolitan Multiple Musicians N/A Cooper

Opera conductor
 Zoppa 26

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