Guns N’ Roses frontman Axl Rose accused of sexual assault
According to a lawsuit filed in New York Supreme Court, a former model has accused Axl Rose of sexually assaulting her in New York more than 30 years ago.
In the lawsuit, Sheila Kennedy, a former Penthouse model, asserted that she encountered the Guns N’ Roses frontman at a New York nightclub in 1989 when she was approximately 26 years old. Kennedy alleged that on the night they met, he forcibly sexually assaulted her in his hotel room.
In the lawsuit obtained from Rolling Stone, Kennedy also asserted that a friend had invited her to a nightclub with the intention of meeting the band. Kennedy recounted having a conversation with Rose at the club, and according to her allegations, he subsequently invited her to accompany him back to his hotel for a gathering.
At Rose’s hotel room, the suit claims that the singer provided the guests with cocaine, champagne, and other alcoholic beverages. Following Kennedy’s visit to the bathroom, Rose allegedly awaited her outside the door. Upon her exit, Rose allegedly pressed Kennedy against the wall and kissed her.
“Kennedy found Rose attractive and did not mind this encounter. She was open to sleeping with him if things progressed,” the suit said. Kennedy says she did not consent to the alleged sexual encounter with Rose that would happen later, when Rose was alone in the room with Kennedy and two others.
Kennedy alleged that Rose’s behaviour appeared forceful and painful for the model, and she mentioned Rose’s encouragement of group sex, which she refused.
Following their departure, Kennedy heard a commotion, including the sound of breaking glass and Rose yelling at the different women. When Rose reencountered Kennedy, he questioned her presence and allegedly pushed her to the floor, then dragged her back to his room. There, the suit claimed Rose forced her onto the bed, tied her hands with pantyhose, and caused her knees to bleed while dragging her across the floor.
This isn’t the first instance in which Kennedy disclosed her reported encounter with Rose; she previously detailed the allegations in her 2016 autobiography, No One’s Pet, and reiterated them in the 2021 documentary Look Away, focusing on sexual misconduct within the music industry.
In response to the allegations, Axl Rose’s attorney, Alan S. Gutman, has issued a statement to Far Out Magazine, saying: “Simply put, this incident never happened”.
Continuing the denial of all accusations, the statement continued: “Notably, these fictional claims were filed the day before the New York State filing deadline expires. Though he doesn’t deny the possibility of a fan photo taken in passing, Mr. Rose has no recollection of ever meeting or speaking to the Plaintiff, and has never heard about these fictional allegations prior to today”.
Gutman concluded: “Mr. Rose is confident this case will be resolved in his favor.”
For help, advice or more information regarding sexual harassment, assault and rape in the UK, visit the Rape Crisis charity website. In the US, visit RAINN.
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