Swans' Michael Gira Issues Statement on Larkin Grimm Rape Accusations

Photo by Jordi Vidal/Getty Images

Yesterday, singer/songwriter Larkin Grimm's claimed that Swans frontman Michael Gira raped her in spring 2008, when she was recording her album Parplar for Gira's Young God label. In a Facebook post yesterday, she said she confronted Gira and he then dropped her from his label. Gira called Grimm's accusations "a slanderous lie" on his personal Facebook page. In an official statement through his publicist, Gira has acknowledged the spring 2008 night in question, but calls the incident "an awkward mistake." Read his full statement below.

Eight years ago, while I was still married to my first wife, Larkin Grimm and I headed towards a consensual romantic moment that fortunately was not consummated. As she wrote in her recent social media postings about that night, I said to her, "this doesn't feel right," and abruptly but completely our only intimate encounter ended. It was an awkward mistake.

Larkin may regret, as I certainly do, that the ill-advised tryst went even that far, but now, as then, I hold her in high esteem for her music and her courage as an artist.

I long ago apologized to my wife and family and told them the truth about this incident. My hope is that Larkin finds peace with the demons that have been darkening her soul since long before she and I ever met.

via Marc Hogan and Matthew Strauss