Tool, Puscifer and A Perfect Circle frontman Maynard James Keenan is the latest musician to be accused of sexual assault. On June 22, an anonymous Twitter user, @IWas17HeWas36, told a harrowing story about how the singer raped her in 2000 while his band A Perfect Circle was on tour with Nine Inch Nails. On Thursday (June 28) Maynard addressed the series of tweets, denying the allegations.
"Many thanks to those of you who saw right through this despicable false claim that only does damage to the #metoo movement," he wrote on Twitter. "And shame on those of you who perpetuate this destructive clickbait. As for my delayed but un-required response, I had my phone off. You should try it."
@IWas17HeWas36 claims Maynard spotted her in the crowd during the show, and one of his crew members found her after and asked if she wanted to meet the band. She was with her boyfriend at the time, but there was only one pass, so she went and asked him to wait for her. She met Maynard at a picnic table. When he asked her age, she told him she was 17. He responded by saying they couldn't talk there and invited her to watch a movie in his tour bus. He led her to a bed and began rubbing her neck. She froze in fear. He took off his pants and moved her onto her back. She then says he forced himself inside her, without a condom, as she lay paralyzed. She didn't tell her boyfriend after, because she didn't want him to freak out.
She says the experience traumatized her, but she blamed herself for his actions. The #MeToo and #TimesUp movements gave her the strength to tell her story, but she decided to create a Twitter account and come out anonymously for fear of judgement. Read her full account here.
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