TW: Sexual Assault
Alexander O’Connor, more famously known by his stage name Rex Orange County, has been charged with six counts of sexual assault in London. On Oct. 10, O’Connor was at Southwark crown court, where “he pleaded not guilty to all six charges and was released on unconditional bail,” according to The Guardian. His trial date has been scheduled on Jan. 3, 2023. Due to legal reasons, the singer has not made a statement about the accusations. However, one of his representatives stated, “Alex is shocked by the allegations, which he denies, and looks forward to clearing his name in court.”
The charges against O’Connor in court disclose that on June 1, he assaulted a woman twice in the West End district of London, assaulted her again in a taxi, and three times later in his Notting Hill home (LBC). Early this year, in July, O’Connor announced that he had to cancel his tour because of “personal circumstances,” which at the time seemed unclear, but are now explained by his inability to leave the UK as a result of the charges. In his statement on Twitter, he said “it is with a great deal of sadness to announce that due to unforeseen personal circumstances, I am having to spend some time at home this year and will not be able to continue with touring as planned.”
The singer-songwriter has gained a lot of popularity during the more recent years. His first album, Bcos U Will Never B Free, was self-released in 2015 and led him to be recognized by famous American rapper, Tyler The Creator, who then asked him to collaborate on his album Flower Boy in 2017. Since then, he has released three more albums, the latest being Who Cares?, for which he was just on tour. It is known most famously for his hit song “Loving is Easy.”
Being the beloved musician that he is, fans were incredibly upset about this news. Many of them took to Twitter to express their disapproval of him blaming his tour cancellation on “personal circumstances” instead of being honest with his fans and taking accountability. His listeners were shocked to hear about the accusations, many of whom immediately stopped supporting his music after the charges were announced.
This news came to light during a time when countless women have come forward regarding their stories of sexual assault, especially with famous men. The #MeToo movement started back in 2006 on MySpace but really took the world by storm around 2017. It began with accusations against actors such as Woody Allen, Harvey Weinstein and Kevin Spacey. The movement gained even more traction when accusations appeared against political figures such as Donald Trump and Brett Kavanaugh. This movement is said to have kickstarted the “fourth wave of feminism,” as stated by Britannica. In the current day, it is as if a few months don’t go by without a new sexual assault accusation coming up regarding a popular celebrity. Since having no previous accusations against Rex Orange County, it was a shock to many fans when these reports came out.
Since Alexander O’Connor’s trial is not until the beginning of next year, it is unclear what changes his music career will take between now and then, as well as after the trial. Despite the fact he denied these allegations, it is still possible he could lose this trial. Even if he doesn’t lose the trial, as previously stated, fans have already stopped supporting him and listening to his music no matter what the outcome is in court. However, only time will tell.
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