Former Of Mice & Men singer Austin Carlile has denied sexual assault accusations made against him last week. Carlile shared a statement on Instagram in which he took accountability for his actions, saying he “acted like a jerk,” but firmly denied the accusations.
Carlile wrote, “In my younger years, I absolutely was not the best person, but I have never physically abused, preyed upon, forced myself upon, or drugged any woman. These accusations are false and defamatory.”
The singer continued, “All women deserve to feel safe, supported, and heard, but these unjust attacks upon my family and accusations against me, are decades-old claims that are unfounded.”
One of the accusers, Caitlin Stiffler, posted a lengthy statement on Facebook on June 9th in which she detailed the allegations and called out Alternative Press for squashing an article that would have included over 15 different stories regarding Carlile’s behavior. The publication said it did not have enough corroboration at the time.
Stiffler wrote, “(Carlile) not only raped girls, probably more than anyone even knows about, he was a predator seeking out underage girls by using his position in the music industry to do so.” Her account was corroborated by her husband, who said he organized the women who were interviewed by Alternative Press.
Of Mice And Men, which Carlile exited at the end of 2016, issued its own statement denying any involvement in shelving the article.
