Singer-songwriter and producer Ryan Adams has been accused of abuse, manipulation, and sexual misconduct by several women in an exposé from The New York Times. Adams, through a lawyer, has denied the allegations.
The women who spoke about their experiences with Adams include his ex-wife Mandy Moore, singer-songwriter Phoebe Bridgers, and more young female artists he was ostensibly mentoring. Most shared stories of Adams offering them career opportunities while simultaneously pursuing them for sex. “In some cases,” the article claims, “he would turn domineering and vengeful, jerking away his offers of support when spurned, and subjecting women to emotional and verbal abuse, and harassment in texts and on social media.”
One woman, a then-aspiring bassist identified as Ava, claims she was 14 when she entered an online relationship with Adams that eventually led to sexual conversations and an instance when he exposed himself to her over Skype. In a text message from 2014 reviewed by the Times, Adams wrote to her, “If people knew they would say I was like R Kelley lol.”
Moore also described “psychologically abusive” behavior from her ex-husband, adding that “music was a point of control” for him. She said, “His controlling behavior essentially did block my ability to make new connections in the industry during a very pivotal and potentially lucrative time — my entire mid-to-late 20s.”
Adams’s layer, Andrew B Brettler, told the Times, “Mr. Adams unequivocally denies that he ever engaged in inappropriate online sexual communications with someone he knew was underage.” Brettler also denied the other “extremely serious and outlandish accusations” detailed in the report, calling them “grousing by disgruntled individuals.”
Read the full New York Times piece here.
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