The Runaways’ Kari Krome settles sexual assault case against Kim Fowley
The Runaways songwriter Kari Krome has reportedly reached a partial settlement with the estate of Kim Fowley, who she alleged groomed and sexually abused her.
Krome brought forward the claims in December 2022, also alleging that she was groomed and sexually abused by former KROQ radio host Rodney Bingenheimer.
Now, according to Rolling Stone, a conditional settlement has been reached with Fowley’s estate. The music producer died in 2015. No agreement has been reached with Rodney Bingenheimer, who is still alive and denies the allegations.
Krome, who was a teenager when The Runaways formed, alleged that Fowley dragged her into his bedroom by her ankle and sexually assaulted her while her bandmates slept on his floor.
She alleged that Fowley continued to sexually assault her at least another six times when she was aged between 14 and 15. He was 20 years older.
Rolling Stone state that a hearing on the proposed pact is set to take place on January 14th in a probate court.
After his death in 2015, Fowley was accused of sexual assault that same year by one of Krome’s bandmates, Jackie Fuchs, who claimed that he drugged and raped her in an article for The Huffington Post.
After Krome’s allegations came to light in 2023, she said to Rolling Stone, “You can come to a conclusion or think that something isn’t right, but if you’re speaking on something too soon, a lot of times you’ll get nothing but blowback, and you have to wait until the time is right.”
The musician added, “I never shut up about it. Just nobody wanted to hear it. Nobody seemed to care. We’re still looking at these characters through a lens of glamorisation of that era and that scene instead of looking at them through a lens of doing things that are criminal.”
A jury trial for the remainder of the case is still scheduled to begin on March 30th, 2026.
Meanwhile, Bingenheimer, who denied any wrongdoing when he responded to the lawsuit in 2024, continues to broadcast on SiriusXM.
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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