Anti-Flag and lead singer Justin Sane have today (July 28) released statements following online allegations of sexual assault made against the frontman.
The band previously deleted all their social media accounts and seemingly disbanded via a post on Patreon last week (July 20). A recent episode of the podcast ‘enough’ included allegations against an unnamed punk musician who fans on Reddit connected to Sane.
Now, both Sane and the band have taken to Instagram to release statements, with the singer denying the claims against him.
Justin Sane wrote “Recently, there have been claims of sexual assault made against me and I can tell you that these stories are categorically false. I have never engaged in a sexual relationship that was not consensual, nor have I ever been approached by a woman after a sexual encounter and been told I had in any way acted without her consent or violated her in any way.”
“Sexual assault is real and has a devastating impact on victims. I have devoted my entire adult life to standing up for these victims as well as those suffering oppression and inequality, who are victimized, demeaned, and abused. I have always been, and will always be, that person. The statements being told about me are the antithesis of what I believe and how I have conducted myself throughout my life.“
His former bandmates Pat Thetic, Chris ‘#2’ Barker and Chris Head added “We have been shocked, confused, saddened and absolutely heartbroken from the moment we heard these allegations. While we believe this is extremely serious, in the last 30 years we have never seen Justin be violent or aggressive toward women. This experience has shaken us to our core.”
“We understand and apologize that this response may not have been quick enough for some people. This is new territory for all of us and it is taking time for us to process the situation. It was a privilege for us to be in the band Anti-Flag, as we seek to find our path forward we wish healing to all survivors.”
You can view the original Instagram post below:
