Four days ago, a reddit thread was launched about sexual allegations towards the Chicago based rock band The Orwells. Just yesterday, the band broke up due to it.
The rock quintet posted a short and sweet status about themselves simply reading “The Orwells have disbanded.” Vocalist Mario Cuomo, bassist Grant Brinner, and drummer Henry Brinner, are the ones involved in these accusations which range from “rape, sexual abuse, sexual interactions with underaged girls, sending unsolicited nudes and videos, and sexual manipulation. Additionally, Cuomo specifically has been denounced for homophobic and transphobic behavior, as well as aggressive altercations with fans and venue staff,” according to Consequence of Sound.
A giant Google Docs page was created showing off most of what the band have done.
Prior to their breakup, The Orwells sent a statement to Pitchfork about the authenticity of these allegations.
“It’s come to our attention that certain allegations of abuse have been made against one or more of us on social media and in social circles of Chicago. We’d like to first state that sexual abuse in any form is abhorrent. We do not take these accusations lightly and consider this matter incredibly serious. We emphatically deny these baseless allegations brought as a personal attack against us.
While callow altercations and vulgar language we’ve used in the past must be recognized and owned up to, the accusations of sexual assault are completely unfounded. No member of this band has ever acted without consent or maliciously taken advantage of anyone. We encourage anyone who’s been affected by sexual abuse to speak up and make their abusers known; however we also encourage everyone to be cautious of the things they read and say on the Internet. No victim of abuse should be hesitant to make their voice heard and if someone does feel that we’ve hurt them, we encourage them to contact us properly and privately (not via social media or anonymously), as to respect their identity.
Sincerely, Matt, Mario, Dominic, Henry, and Grant
The Orwells”
The Orwells formed in 2009 and released three studio albums, their last one being 2017’s appropriately titled Terrible Human Beings on Canvasback Music (alt-J, Grouplove, Jealous Of The Birds) and Atlantic Records (3OH!3, Bhad Bhabie, Death Cab For Cutie). They’ve done shows and tours with numerous acts like Green Day, FIDLAR, and Weezer, and done festivals such as Riot Fest, Governors Ball, and Shaky Knees. They cancelled their November 23 show at the Metro in their hometown prior to their end.
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