Axl Rose settles sexual assault lawsuit
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(Credits: Raph Pour-Hashemi)
Last year, Guns N’ Roses frontman Axl Rose was accused of sexual assault by former model Sheila Kennedy. Now, the pair have reached an out-of-court settlement, with Rose still denying all the charges levelled against him by Kennedy, which pertain to an encounter with Rose in New York back in 1989.
In November 2023, Kennedy launched a lawsuit against the frontman, claiming that he had sexually assaulted her in his hotel room after the pair met at a nightclub in Manhattan, New York City, back in 1989 – at the peak of Guns N’ Roses’ success.
Prior to the legal filing, Kennedy wrote about the assault in her 2016 memoir No One’s Pet. Rose and his legal team have staunchly denied all claims since these allegations first came to light.
Now that a settlement has been reached, Rose told Rolling Stone, “As I have from the beginning, I deny the allegations. There was no assault.”
His legal representative, E. Danya Perry, also provided a statement, writing, “Mr. Rose has suffered greatly from this lawsuit, and I am pleased that he will now be able to move on with his life.”
Rose and Kennedy have formally agreed to discontinue the case without prejudice, according to paperwork. This essentially means that the case cannot be brought in front of a court again at any future date. Both parties have also agreed to cover their own legal costs within the suit.
What was the accusation against Axl Rose?
The lawsuit was originally brought just days before the filing period for the Adult Survivors Act – which allows sexual assault victims to sue their abusers regardless of whether the statute of limitations has passed – closed. According to Kennedy, the assault took place in a luxury hotel suite where Rose was hosting an afterparty in February 1989.
Her lawsuit claims that the initial encounter between the pair had been consensual, stating, “Kennedy found Rose attractive and did not mind” and “she was open to sleeping with him if things progressed.” However, the suit alleges that Rose then became “aggressive”, dragging Kennedy across the room by her hair before raping her.
“Rose made no attempt to ask for or check that Kennedy was consenting,” the lawsuit read. “He treated her like property used solely for his sexual pleasure.” The suit also added that the frontman “did not use a condom.” For his part, a district attorney representing Rose claimed, “Mr. Rose has no recollection of ever meeting or speaking to the plaintiff and has never heard about these fictional allegations prior to today.”
Previous to this case, Rose had been accused of abuse and sexual assault by multiple former partners, including Erin Everly and Stephanie Seymour, which also resulted in out-of-court settlements.
For help, advice or more information regarding sexual harassment, assault and rape in the UK, visit the Rape Crisis charity website. In the US, visit RAINN.
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