Alexander O’Connor, the indie singer known as Rex Orange County, was charged with six counts of sexual assault on Oct. 10. The 24-year-old singer allegedly assaulted the same woman on two occasions in the West End of London, once in a taxi and three times at his home in Notting Hill. The Guardian reported that the woman is over the age of 16, the age of consent in the United Kingdom.
O’Connor appeared at Southwark Crown Court where he denied the charges. A provisional trial date is set for Jan. 3, 2023, and O’Connor was released on bail ahead of the trial.
Fans of Rex Orange County were immediately shocked and hurt when the news broke, turning to social media to share their anger and betrayal. One fan told Buzzfeed News, “My heart immediately broke for the alleged victim, I started crying almost instantly because I knew nothing was gonna be the same after hearing this.” Many discussed the premature cancellation of his tour and believed the charges to be the cause. Though the reason is still unconfirmed, fans aired their opinions on Twitter, one user calling the situation “sickening.”
On July 2, O’Connor canceled the Australian, New Zealand and European legs of his tour citing “unforeseen personal circumstances” in an announcement on his Instagram. He did play the remainder of his scheduled shows in the UK and Ireland and announced that he would play his last show of the year on Aug. 13 in London.
O’Connor was emotional at this show, crying, shaking his head and issuing many goodbyes to the crowd. Fans initially expressed concern for O’Connor and were extremely distressed at his last performance. Now fans feel manipulated as they believe O’Connor played his performance knowing the allegations would change their perception of him. One Twitter user called him a “vile man.”
Many fans were immediately in support of the alleged survivor and posted TikToks where Rex Orange County merch can be seen either destroyed or thrown away. Young women and girls make up a large part of O’Connor’s fan base and did not hesitate to believe the victim.
They have made it clear they are not interested in separating the art from the artist and will not continue to support his music and career because of the allegations. The question of whether art can ever be truly separated from the artist is one many disagree on.
O’Connor will appear in court in early 2023 but Rex Orange Country now joins the controversial likes of Ansel Elgort, R. Kelly, Woody Allen and Kanye West.
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