Kind Of Like Spitting frontman ends band in now-deleted post after Febuary vocalist’s grooming allegations
After the vocalist of the band Febuary, Rila Ogawa, accused Ben Barnett, frontman of emo group Kind of Like Spitting, of grooming, Barnett announced an end to the group in a now-deleted Instagram post.
Ogawa shared a 23-page Google Document on her Instagram Stories, in which she accuses Barnett of sexual manipulation and grooming. She begins her statement by writing, “I am very scared to post this. I’ve been scared to post this for a very long time and sharing my story wasn’t even an option until recent thought.”
The document goes on to detail her alleged exchanges with Barnett, alongside several screenshots of their online messaging. They became close after she reached out to express how she was a longtime fan of his band. In the messages, he allegedly goes on to compliment her appearance, and at one point writes, “I always wondered if you were low key modelling or caming… Fucking sign me up for the vip room homie.”
Ogawa added in the document, “I never sent him any suggestive text messages, I would respond after he would make comments like these but only because I didn’t know what to do or say.” She continued, “I feel disgusted with myself to even know I read these messages and didn’t see anything wrong with them, I just thought he had a twisted sense of humour or something.”
Barnett allegedly also told the Febuary vocalist that one of his past students had accused him of grooming but claimed he was “innocent.” Ogaway released her statement in light of the upcoming Best Friends Forever Festival in Las Vegas, where both bands were set to play.
She wrote, “I am scared to be at the same festival as my groomer. I am even more terrified at the thought of young impressionable fans going up to him as I once did without knowing how he really is.” Barnett’s band has since been dropped from the festival.
Barnett first responded via now-deleted Instagram Story, branding the allegations “heartbreaking and really brutal” via The Needle Drop, claiming he “never did anything but support or help [Febuary].”
On September 16th, Barnett then responded to Ogawa’s allegations in an Instagram post, announcing that he is ending the band. He wrote: “All shows are cancelled and the new record is the last record. Probably that I will ever make… I will speak my truth and show my receipts as well, but not now.”
As per Stereogum, the now-deleted Instagram post also read, “There has been overwhelming hatred toward me and it seems like what needs to be done to own my life and my experience as well as honor my accuser, is to work toward whatever restorative justice looks like. Out of sync and context I see what you see. No excuses. Shits a horrible look.”
He finished, “Now I want to apologize to Rila right or wrong and be accountable for my mistakes. I hope knowing I will no longer be making or performing art brings some peace to the people who feel let down.”
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