Silence No More: Unraveling Sexual Violence in the Music Industry

This was originally intended as a college English class research paper and was formatted to meet those requirements. It has now has been adapted to fit the limitations of Medium.com while retaining the core of its format.

Music is one of the most venerable and expansive forms of entertainment and art. It defines cultures, decorates films, motivates personal fitness, livens up public areas, and even facilitates dancing and substance use to ‘let loose and have a good time’. While music may accompany many enjoyable experiences in our lives, there is a festering darkness that lies behind much of what we hear on our playlists: sexual violence. For at least half a century, these vile acts of dominance and exploitation have silently plagued the music industry (Sir Tom Jones). Fortunately, the numerous accusations against film mogul Harvey Weinstein appear to have sparked a movement by victims to expose these crimes and their abusers. While pertinent, individual accusations published through mainstream and social media alone do not reveal the full extent that sexual violence ravages this industry. By analyzing the origins of these crimes, motivations of the perpetrators, and lingering silence of the victims as well as those who are knowledgeable, a comprehensive understanding and addressment of sexual violence in the music industry is accomplished.

What Is Sexual Violence?

Determining what qualifies as sexual violence has become quite the predicament due to a lack of universal agreement. However, many scholars concur that it includes any sort of “…unwanted or unlawful…” sexual advances (Graphia). Given this, it acts as an umbrella for offenses such as sexual harassment, sexual assault, and human sex trafficking.

Each of these offenses affect an astonishing number of women. According to research from the CDC, 20% of women will be raped at least once (Black, et al. 1). In the workplace alone, “…one study of employed women found that 38% had experienced sexual harassment…” (United States 2). Additionally, approximately 3.8 million adults were human sex trafficking victims in 2016; nearly all of them were female (International Labour Organization 9). While there are adult male victims, their abuse is not as prevalent in comparison to female victims (United States 2; International Labour Organization 9; Black, et al. 1). Therefore, male adult victims will not receive as much attention in the course of this research.

Even more devastating than the frequency of sexual violence is its impact on victims. It has been reported that 50% to 95% of rape victims have experienced PTSD. Experts also have discovered that half of female victims found themselves unemployed because of how detrimental their rape experience was (United States 2).

Specifically with music industry, the frequency and effects of sexual violence contradict popular thought and statistics. The movement to out sexual predators is unprecedented; a year ago, there wouldn’t have been enough evidence to conduct thorough research. This is one explanation why sexual violence in the music industry appears to have been neglected by researchers. In fact, the National Sexual Violence Center does not provide a single resource on the sexual violence in the entertainment industry, yet has five for the farming industry (Sexual Violence and the Workplace). Furthermore, there is a major lack of scientific and statistical information to explain the issue’s magnitude and effects. However, we do have a multitude of relevant sources that provide further insight on this epidemic.

Is This Business Even About Music?

While what occurs in the film industry concerning sexual violence has been made very apparent by the mainstream media, the issue within the music industry has not. So what exactly is going on? Well, we have artists sexually assaulting their band members, as seen with Ethan Kath and Alice Glass of electronic duo Crystal Castles (“Alice Glass accuses”). We have publicist Kirt Webster, who has worked with stars such as Dolly Parton and Lynyrd Skynyrd, assaulting both his artists and employees (Whitaker; Garcia and Paulson). We also have the frontman of a B-list rock band sexually exploiting minors (Yoo).

Possibly the most extreme description of the horrors in the industry comes from former Pussycat Dolls singer Kaya Jones, who claims she was in a “prostitution ring” (“My truth.I wasn’t in a girl group”). Since it was discovered that Harvey Weinstein hired ex-Mossad agents to “…stop the publication of [his] abuse allegations…”, threats of that intensity appear plausible (Farrow). However, this is just a small snippet of the crimes that cover the music industry.

It doesn’t appear to be too much of a surprise to some of the most prominent figures. While he hasn’t personally encountered it, Ed Sheeran was confident that sexual violence occurs in both music and film (Garrido). But why? Well, one of the most common forms of sexual violence in the industry comes via the ‘casting couch’. Essentially, in order to receive a new position, sexual acts are required. Manager Sarah Bowden explained one instance where she was offered a new job opportunity that would be attainable only if she slept with a supervisor. Her refusal to do so resulted in the termination of her employment (Clare). Rolling Stone founder Jann Wenner has been accused of engaging in similar practices as he allegedly assaulted a journalist while promising a contract for 25 articles (Georgantopoulos). This appears to be part of the power structure in the entertainment industry; members are rewarded for sleeping with producers and executives, instead of hard work and creativity.

Although a significant amount of these issues are found within popular music, other genres of music also have their fair share of sexual violence. Berklee College of Music, one of the finest music institutions in the world, recently announced it has dismissed eleven professors within the past thirteen years for sexual abuse and harassment (Larimer). In comparison to Elmhurst College’s music department, this would be equivalent to terminating the employment of all but one of their full-time faculty. Four of Berklee’s terminated professors were jazz musicians; one of them has performed with Wynton Marsalis and Elvin Jones, while another has worked with the likes of Herbie Hancock and Dizzy Gillespie (Lazar; Steve Kirby — About; Greg Osby — Biography; Nicholson). Given the prestige of these professors and their peers, it’s unclear at this point whether or not these incidents were issue pertinent to higher education, the music industry, or both.

Classical music isn’t evading sexual violence either. According to a very recent study from the Incorporated Society of Musicians, “Some 60 percent of [classical musicians] said they had experienced discrimination of some sort, with the majority reporting it took the form of sexual harassment” (Harding). Some of this has already been publicly visible. In 2011, Oscar-winning composer Joseph Brooks committed suicide over allegations of sexually assaulting thirteen women that he had promised a role in his film (Goldstein). Six years later, opera music responded to the ‘Weinstein effect’ as the Metropolitan Opera’s conductor was accused of sexually abusing minors, and an American singer recounted sexual harassment from several men; one of them was said to be of high regard and stature (Cooper; Mentzer). Unfortunately, this type of behavior knows no borders; 653 Swedish singers have also alleged sexual violence from “…powerful men in the classical music industry” (Chapple). It is unknown what genre these women work within, but almost 2,000 additional Swedish industry members have come forward as victims of sexual violence as well (Ingham). Claiming that sexual violence plagues the entire music industry may even be an understatement itself; it is truly everywhere.

Hidden in Plain Sight

Looking back, the current mass hysteria about sexual violence in the entertainment industry is quite puzzling. The truth of the matter is that it’s been publicly acknowledged for decades. In 1979, rock group the Eagles recorded the song “King of Hollywood”. Members Glenn Frey and Don Henley sing the following in the second verse:

Come sit down here beside me, honey.

Let’s have a little heart to heart.

Now look at me and tell me, darlin’,

how badly do you want this part?

Are you willing to sacrifice?

And are you willing to be real nice?

All your talent and my good taste,

I’d hate to see it go to waste (Eagles).

The lyrics are detailing the same casting couch horrors that many stars today have revealed. Were Henley and Frey recounting stories they’ve heard, or rather discreetly hinting at crimes on a more personal level? The Eagles have been one of the most successful musical acts selling more than 150 million records since their inception (Savage). It appears it didn’t take too long for that success to get the best of them. In 1980, a party at Henley’s residence went awry when a 16 year old prostitute overdosed. The incident resulted in Henley being charged with “…contributing to the delinquency of a minor…” (Lester). Henley himself admits to calling a madam, yet denies knowing her age as well as having sex with her (Connelly). How did he not know she was a minor, and how likely is it that he didn’t take advantage of the service he paid for (i.e. have sex with the prostitute that happened to be underage)? That still remains a mystery.

Compiling onto the suspiciousness is the background of an investigator in this case. Detective Michael Brambles was a member of the Los Angeles Police Department’s Sexually Exploited Unit (which arrived at the scene first), and was tasked with chasing leads on the 16 year old girl found in Henley’s residence (Lieberman and Hubler; Loder). Brambles’ “golden boy” reputation didn’t hold up for too long after he was convicted of robbing multiple L.A. businesses and sexually assaulting female employees over the course of four months. Prior to this, he was accused by another detective of rigging a phone lineup of potential suspects (Abrahamson and Lieberman). It wouldn’t be the first time law enforcement has covered up crimes of pedophilia; it happened to Corey Feldman when he reported his abusers to the Santa Barbara police in 1993 (Corey Feldman Opens Up 05:05–05:40). The department maintained that no evidence existed of Feldman reporting these abusers, until December 2017 when they discovered recordings which were turned over to the LAPD (Puente). Given the questions that still remain in regard to this 1980 incident, perhaps the true ‘King of Hollywood’ is Henley himself.

The Eagles aren’t the only ones to highlight sexual violence in the industry. In fact, three years earlier, “Somewhere in Hollywood” captures the essence of this, opening with “Down on the casting couch, a star is gonna be born” (10cc). Rock legend Tom Petty also lashed out against the industry in 2002, recording a song about a fictitious music executive named Joe. In portrayal of Joe, Petty sings “…bring me a girl, they’re always the best. You put ’em on stage and you have ’em undress” (Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers).

One Thing Leads to Another

Just as insightful as lyrics are music videos. Often found in these films is sexual objectification, or rather “…the experience of being treated as a body…valued predominantly for its use to (or consumption by) others” (qtd. In Aubrey and Frisby 479). Just like sexual violence, victims of sexual objectification are predominantly women. After analyzing 147 Top 10 music videos, two University of Missouri professors established that females are objectified much more frequently than males, and that objectification is more prominent in R&B/hip hop music than pop and country (487–492). Although R&B/hip hop artists are predominantly black, the two professors argued in another study about objectification in music videos that “Black and White artists did not differ from each other on any of the variables except for sexually provocative dress” (Frisby and Aubrey 81). Therefore, objectification in this industry does not appear to fueled by racism, but rather power over women.

How is this relevant? Two professors from University of Nebraska-Lincoln argue that objectification is the direct source of sexual violence. They say that “people who objectify women will be more prone toward aggression against women”, and being exposing to objectification will eventually numb society down to the point where it is accepted (Gervais and Eagan 228). Their claims aren’t quite far-fetched at all. In fact, if we were to take this link and fuse it with the research of Aubrey and Frisby, it’s obvious why some of hip hop’s top figures including Russell Simmons, Jimmy Iovine, and R. Kelly have been accused of sexual violence (Newman; Wow for a second).

It’s also apparent why multiple music video directors are under scrutiny for alleged abuse as well. Aside from the Rush Hour film series and X-Men: The Last Stand, Brett Ratner has directed videos for stars as big as Miley Cyrus and Mariah Carey (Vena). All that success has been set into the shadows as ten women have come out and accused him of sexual violence (Kaufman, Amy, et al). Photographer Terry Richardson is one of the newest member of the club of abusers as it was revealed that he is the “focus of a new investigation by the NYPD’s Special Victims Squad” (Niemetz and Dillon). While Richardson is most known for his photography, he also directed the highly objectifying and controversial music video for the Miley Cyrus song, “Wrecking Ball”, which features Cyrus wearing nothing but “a pair of cherry red Doc Martens” (Scharf).

There’s two intriguing side bits about Carey and Cyrus in relation to Ratner and Richardson. According to Ratner, he has been friends with Carey for over twenty years (Malkin). Carey has alluded to facing sexual violence herself during her career, but refrained from providing specifics. Given the close relationship between the two celebrities and Ratner’s numerous amount of accusers, was Carey also one of Ratner’s victims? The point of this question, as well as future questions is not to stir up drama and draw out wacky conspiracy theories, but rather to highlight how this is a problem that involves thousands of household names. Not knowing the truth allows us to unknowingly applaud rapists and abusers.

Continuing on to Cyrus and Richardson, singer Sinead O’Connor had the following to say in reaction to Cyrus’ “Wrecking Ball” video:

They will prostitute you for all you are worth, and cleverly make you think it’s what

YOU wanted and when you end up in rehab as a result of being prostituted, ‘they’ will be

sunning themselves on their yachts in Antigua, which they bought by selling your body

and you will find yourself very alone (Monde and Brown).

One may assume this came in the midst of the Weinstein effect. However, this O’Connor wrote this four years prior. O’Connor is notable for her criticism of the Catholic Church’s child sex abuse scandal during a performance on Saturday Night Live. However, it appears she was ignored (and even attacked after the SNL incident) both in 1992 and 2013. Will the public start listening now, or is the Weinstein effect just a short-lived phase?

Nevertheless, given the objectifying nature work of both Ratner’s and Richardson’s work, there appears to be merit to Gervais’s and Egan’s claim.

Silence For So Long

In the midst of the what is being referred to as the ‘Weinstein effect’, data suggesting that half of female rape victims become unemployed conflicts with how many performers have actually remained in the industry (United States 2). Based on my own findings concerning those who have spoken up, it appears only two victims have left the industry. So why have so many stayed and remained silent? One explanation is career blacklisting. Punk rock vocalist Jessicka Addams has admitted to being raped by Marilyn Manson bassist Jeordie White (known on-stage as Twiggy Ramirez). More relevant are the post-rape threats she received from her label, Risk Records:

In 1997, I was warned by my band’s record company that if I revealed my story [publicly] there would be a very good chance that my band Jack Off Jill would be black balled by concert promoters, radio programmers, and other bands and their managers. Jack Off Jill was also warned of running the risk of losing our coveted record deal (which they gave us!! (Addams).

Addams doesn’t appear to be the only one threatened by the power of sexual predators. Kaya Jones of the Pussycat Dolls says that she was forced until silence under threats of career loss, or even death (“Why don’t we report it”). Singer Kelly Clarkson also claims she was coerced by her record label to work with producer Dr. Luke (Goodman). Luke is infamously known for allegations of sexual abuse from pop star Kesha. Although Clarkson denies being assaulted by Luke, the massive power of record labels over artists appears to be at the crux of this issue; artists are forced by labels to work with sexual predators and keep quiet about their crimes.

Another factor of prolonged silence comes with the firm assumption that sexual violence is a widespread practice throughout the industry. According to three studies conducted by professors throughout the nation, employees were found less likely to report unethical behavior when their co-workers engage in it as well as when they view both their co-workers and supervisors as unethical (Guest). Given new revelations from the music industry, these studies suggest that so many members were committing acts of sexual violence that no one felt the courage to speak up. It also reveals that many industry members did not see much genuinity in their peers.

The other likely restraint on exposing the horrors in this industry is the legal system. For victims and bystanders alike, there appears to be many roadblocks and concerns behind pursuing claims about such high profile subjects. When discussing the staggering 310 sexual harassment allegations against director James Toback, director James Gunn explained, “…sharing secondhand stories is legally complicated, and could open me to being sued” (Gunn; Madani). There is merit to this. At the very least, Gunn could be sued for defamation due to negligence in publishing false or unverifiable hearsay (negligence, defamation).

For artists, the struggle to tell the truth is even greater. Kesha, who is a recording artist at the Sony-owned Kemosabe Records, experienced this two years after claiming Dr. Luke raped her when a judge dismissed her claims of sexual abuse due to the statute of limitations (Gottwald et al. v. Sebert). It’s also important to note that the judge’s husband is a partner in Sony’s legal firm, so nepotism and corruption could be possible in this case (Vincent). Nevertheless, the statute of limitations deters both speaking up and justice.

“It’s Okay When You’re Famous”

Many may argue that sexual violence really isn’t a problem in the industry; the lack of condemnation before the ‘Weinstein effect’ suggests that to be true. One of the clearest examples explores the pedophilic record of R&B artist R. Kelly. When he was 27 years old, he married 15 year old vocalist Aaliyah. Soon after, he was sued by three women who had sex with him while they were minors, one of which was encouraged to participate in group sex at age 15. He has also been charged with 14 counts of child pornography in his lifetime, videotaped urinating in the mouth of a 14 year old’s mouth, and running a sex cult (Newman). Nevertheless, R. Kelly’s public reception as an artist and person appears to not be tainted in the slightest. He has still managed to reach six №1 hits and fifteen Top 10 hits (R. Kelly Chart History). And how have his fellow colleagues reacted to his crimes? Well, music industry legend Jimmy Iovine refers to him as “…my favorite poet…”(Stutz). Gospel singer Marvin Sapp took it a step further and said he refuses to condemn Kelly. Instead, he prays for Kelly no differently than he prays for his victims (Carter). Meanwhile, it appears the likes of LL Cool J, Mary J. Blige, and Ellen DeGeneres have no problem posing with a known pedophile at celebrity parties (@rkelly). When the industry and consumers alike fail to condemn these crimes, it sends a message that there’s nothing wrong with sexual violence. The problem will not disappear if the issue isn’t addressed at all levels.

Of course, this isn’t the first time the members of the entertainment industry have done this. Hollywood has had no issue defending film director and convicted child rapist Roman Polanski. In fact, Meryl Streep and others gave him a standing ovation at the 74th Academy Awards, Johnny Depp claimed that “Roman Polanski is not a predator”, and even though the victim could not give consent because she was 13 years old, Whoopi Goldberg argued that what Polanski did “…wasn’t rape-rape!” (Callahan; Weaver and agencies). Perhaps it’s because people like INXS guitarist Kirk Pengilly have said that they “…really loved the ’60s and ’70s when…you could slap a woman on the butt (Kolovos). Or, maybe it has to do with the fact that Snoop Dogg confidently admitted to running a pimping business without any repercussions to his career (Rolling Stone).

Not only have stars in the entertainment industry applauded known sexual predators, but they’ve also defended them and attacked victims who have spoken up. Kesha suffered criticism from nationally syndicated talk show host Wendy Williams for not speaking up soon enough about her abuse, and Williams made an odd comment that “if everybody complained because somebody allegedly sexually abused them…, contracts would be broken all the time” (Police Boycotting Beyoncé’s Tour 4:24–5:00). Is she too pointing out that sexual abuse is all too common in this industry? Possibly, but others still want to keep that a secret. When joining as a guest on The View, former child star Corey Feldman was blasted by host Barbara Walters for “damaging an entire industry” because of his outspokenness on pedophilia in the film industry (Corey Feldman- Hollywood Pedophilia). About a month ago, he was met with this same backlash from none other than Matt Lauer, who appeared highly skeptical of both Feldman’s claims and plan to expose his abusers (Corey Feldman Opens Up 03:52–7:15). Ironically, Lauer was just outed as a sexual predator himself. Is this the real reason why celebrities have failed to disavow sexual violence?

Taking Down the Ring

During the course of my research, I believe I have stumbled upon the existence of a Hollywood sex abuse ring, comprising of high ranking members in the music industry. The purpose of exploring is not to attack abusers or launch wild conspiracy theories; understanding and tackling this issue will only come through exploring all valid possibilities. Breadcrumbs from former Pussycat Dolls singer Kaya Jones as well as established connections between certain figures suggest that an organized ring does exist.

The disclosure of such a ring began with a string of tweets from Jones on October 13, 2017. One read, “My truth.I wasn’t in a girl group. I was in a prostitution ring.Oh & we happened to sing & be famous. While everyone who owned us made the $” (“My truth.I wasn’t in a girl group”). So who owned them? That would be Robin Antin, Jimmy Iovine, and Ron Fair. All three served as executive producers on the group’s debut album, and Jones has utilized to the words of Ellen Barkin (which were originally directed at Weinstein) to refer to them as “the ultimate of starfuckers” whose only talent was exploiting others (PCD album artwork; “Wow for a second”).

Robin Antin is known for her choreography, working with artists like Pink and Paris Hilton (McDonald / Selznick Associates). While Antin has not been accused of engaging directly in sexual abuse, Antin appears to an enabler and has been dubbed the “den mother from hell” by Jones. The former Pussycat Doll expanded on this description by insinuating that the suicide of one of Antin’s other girl stars, Simone Battle, was heavily influenced by emotional abuse from Antin (“I want the den mother from hell”). Jones also alleges that Antin destroyed her baby photos, as well as shamed her weight (“My den mother from hell; I’m sharing this because”).

However, allegations just are allegations. Coming from just one person, the extent of this abuse may seem a bit far-fetched to some. However, she isn’t the only one to speak up about issues in the group. Earlier this year, Jones’s former bandmate Kimberly Wyatt claimed that “Record producers constantly watched us to make sure we weren’t putting on weight, and we were made to be like anorexic aliens” (Duff). Their other bandmate Melody Thornton said she was just “imploding from the inside” during her time in the group (Melody Thornton reveals her struggles). Now how is this relevant to the sexual abuse Jones’s faced? It’s just another facet of the control that Antin, Iovine, and Fair imposed on the group. It was so horrific that they were forced to perform sexual acts for anybody and were drugged as a method of blackmail (“Yes I said leverage”; “To be apart of the team”). While Antin has a fairly clear public record, one of Jones’s alleged abusers does not.

Jimmy Iovine is one of the most successful members of the music industry. He has worked with the likes of John Lennon and Bruce Springsteen, headed Interscope Geffen A&M Records, and co-founded Beats Electronics. However, based on comments from others as well as his own words, there seems to be some merit behind Jones’s allegations against him. In an interview on CBS This Morning, he revealed his sexist mindset when he said he’s “always known that women find it very difficult at times…to find music” (Jimmy Iovine, Mary J. Blige talk Apple Music’s new ad 1:51–2:02). However, Iovine seems to be more than just sexist. Members of The Black Eyed Peas were amused at a radio host’s jokes about Iovine’s sexual behavior. Will.i.am was discussing concerns that the boyfriend of Jones’s former bandmate Nicole Scherzinger had about her touring with the all-male (at the time) Black Eyed Peas, prompting host Charlamagne tha God to suggest that Iovine would be more likely sexually prey on Scherzinger than the group would (Black Eyed Peas Blow Our Minds 18:25–19:55). Their laughter also indicates that Iovine’s behavior is no secret within the industry, further supporting his alleged sexual abuse.

In one interview, Kaya Jones spoke of a specific instance of sexually assaulted by a music executive; he was in his 50s and she was either 19 or 20. Now she is 33 years old, which means the incident occurred in 2003 or 2004. Who was in his 50s then? Jimmy Iovine. Jones also indicated that this happened after a show in Las Vegas (Gould). Interestingly enough, The Pussycat Dolls performed at the 2004 VH1 Divas in Vegas. It featured many high profile artists, and although it’s unknown if Iovine was present, two of Jones’s reported abusers Robin Antin and Ron Fair were (Kravitz and Film Magic; VH1 Divas 2004). Also, it appears more coincidental than relevant, but alleged sexual violence victims Sir Tom Jones and Antonia Jenae were also performers at this show (VH1 Divas 2004; For Medicinal Purposes). Additionally, Iovine’s praise for known pedophile R. Kelly raises many red flags about the famed producer (Stutz).

Jones’s alleged other abuser is Ron Fair. In addition to his work with The Pussycat Dolls, he has held roles as chairman of Geffen Records and CCO of Virgins Records. Despite working with stars like Lady Gaga and Christina Aguilera, Fair has managed to stay out of the public spotlight and hasn’t been entrenched with any prior scandals (David). However, one can only wonder whether there are other artists he can work with that are also victims.

The third member of this purported sex ring is Def Jam Recordings co-founder Russell Simmons. He took advantage of the casting couch, assaulting a 17 year old model while filmmaker and sexual predator Brett Ratner looked on (Kaufman, et al.). He also has been accused of assaulting screenwriter Jenny Lumet, prompting him to step down from his business ventures (Lumet). Most recently, nine more women have accused him of abusing them (Coscarelli and Ryzik; Miller, et al.). Simmons appears to have a close relationship with Jimmy Iovine, acknowledging him of one of his books, and posing with him at numerous parties (Mazur; McIntyre; McMullan; Simmons and Morrow 331; Ziyadat).

Joining Simmons is L.A. Reid. Reid was dismissed from Sony’s Epic Records after accusations of sexual harassment in order to “avoid another Kesha situation”. Prior to working with Epic, he was chief executive of Universal’s Island Def Jam Music Group, which includes Simmons’ Def Jam Recordings (Halperin). Reid appeared to work with Simmons in some capacity; Reid announced the launch of the Russell Simmons Music Group, while Simmons called Reid to sign an artist to that label (Gries; Russell Simmons Music Group/Def Jam Records introduces ‘LEE CARR’). Even more telling is the fact that one of Simmons’ accusers has also accused Reid (Coscarelli and Ryzik). While Reid’s accusations have been limited to harassment, his involvement in such a sex ring should not be overlooked at the moment.

The fifth alleged member is Sir Richard Branson. Branson is the founder of both Virgin Records and V2 Records, and was recently accused of sexually assaulting Joss Stone’s backing vocalist Antonia Janae (Beale, James, et al.). Although he claims that he doesn’t remember the event, it’s interesting to note that he is listed in the “black book” of convicted billionaire pedophile Jeffrey Epstein (Riley; Lewis and Swaine). This book is believed to contain Epstein’s sexual behavior with underage girls, as well as the contact information of his elite friends. There is no known evidence pointing to the involvement that these contacts had in Epstein’s illegal activities, but the book was so sought for that Epstein’s butler stole and it was convicted for attempting to sell it (Eleftheriou-Smith).

What is the common tie between all five men? Each of the labels they have been prominent figures at (Interscope Geffen A&M, Virgin Records, Def Jam Recordings, Geffen Records) are owned by Universal Music Group (Our Labels & Brands — UMG). It shouldn’t come to any surprise though as Universal has a history of immoral and illegal activities. In 2013, the corporation was sued by a former security guard who alleged that the west coast office was infiltrated with massive drug use and sexual activity. She also detailed a scenario involving Jimmy Iovine and American Idol participants where “guests of [Universal Music Publishing Group were] smoking marijuana” (Jane Doe vs Universal Protection Services, et al.). The company was also forced by the New York attorney general to fork over $12 million after bribing radio stations to play their catalogue (Leeds). In the near future, sex crimes at the highest levels of this corporation may be added on to the list.

What we have here is five high profile executives from labels owned by Universal Music Group being accused of sexual violence. This is accompanied by a multitude of information that further legitimizes the accusations as well as establishes some connections between these men. However, other than Kaya Jones’s claim that she was in a prostitution ring, there is no direct evidence to prove that such a sex ring exists nor that all of these men are jointly involved. Nevertheless, it would be wise and just for professionals and law enforcement alike to further investigate in an effort to eradicate sexual violence from this industry.

The War Goes On

Sexual violence is overwhelmingly the gravest matter within the music industry today. On the most basic level, it is evident through objectification in music videos. This approach of treating women like toys comes to life through the abusive behavior of producers, executives, and performers themselves. Contrary to mainstream media narratives, that behavior is not limited to Hollywood; it comprises of multiple facets and genres of music. What many have failed to realize is that this problem has been visible for decades, both through lyrics and the outing of sexual predators years before allegations against Harvey Weinstein surfaced. Yet, Hollywood has massively failed in addressing this issue as they’ve shamed victims and defended abusers. Until now, this has been viewed as a problem of individual predators with like-minded behaviors. Perhaps considering the possibility that multiple industry elites are working together to abuse women will provide a clearer understanding of the stains beneath our playlists.

Even given all of this information, it is too soon to pinpoint the exact nature and intent of these crimes. Prior to the Weinstein effect (and even to this day), there is a major lack of scientific information from scholars and government agencies to correctly and precisely identify the extent to which sexual violence ravages the music industry. Further investigation and study is required if a solution is to be reached.

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@KayaJones. “I’m sharing this because the abuse was for one girl was her hair, another her skin, another her breast size,for me my weight.Abuse is abuse.” Twitter, 24 Oct 2017, 12:37 a.m., twitter.com/KayaJones/status/922728698834427904.

— -. “I want the den mother from hell to confess why another 1 of her girl group girls committed suicide?Tell the public how you mentally broke us.” Twitter, 13 Oct 2017, 3:13 a.m., twitter.com/KayaJones/status/918781831520010240.

— -. “My den mother from hell took my baby pictures.She wanted to do a before they were dolls.Then threw them away.Truth.Never returned a single 1.” Twitter, 24 Oct 2017, 12:03 a.m., twitter.com/KayaJones/status/922720248968527872.

— -. “My truth.I wasn’t in a girl group. I was in a prostitution ring.Oh & we happened to sing & be famous. While everyone who owned us made the $.” Twitter, 13 Oct 2017, 3:00 a.m., twitter.com/KayaJones/status/918778471890935809.

— -. “To be apart of the team you must be a team player.Meaning sleep with whoever they say.If you dont they have nothing on you to leverage.” Twitter, 13 Oct 2017, 3:22 a.m., twitter.com/KayaJones/status/918790120081199105.

— -. “Why don’t we report it? Because we are all abused! I personally have been warned if I tell I will … you know end up dead or no more career.” Twitter, 15 Oct 2017, 3:46 a.m., twitter.com/KayaJones/status/918790120081199105.

— -. “Wow for a second I swore you were talking about Robin,Ron & Jimmy.” Twitter, 15 Oct 2017, 1:28 p.m., twitter.com/KayaJones/status/919661171841499136.

— -. “Yes I said leverage. Meaning after they turn you out or get you hooked on drugs they use it against you.Correct.Victimizing the victim again.” Twitter, 13 Oct 2017, 3:24 a.m., twitter.com/KayaJones/status/918784487298760706.

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— -. “Had a blast recently partying with Ellen & Mary J while celebrating our friend Jimmy Iovine! #FBF.” Twitter, 1 Sep 2017, 9:57 p.m., twitter.com/rkelly/status/850474596172128256

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