Canadian artist Feist shared on Instagram that she will be leaving the tour with Arcade Fire following the allegations of sexual misconduct against frontman, Win Butler.
In a statement, the 46-year-old singer said she “was never here to stand for or with Arcade Fire – I was here to stand on my own two feet on a stage, a place I’ve grown to feel I belong and I’ve earned as my own.”
The allegations against Butler emerged shortly before the opening show of Arcade Fire’s world tour. Pitchfork was the first to report the news when they published interviews with three people claiming sexual misconduct and one claiming she was sexually assaulted by the AF frontman.
Three women and one person, who identifies as gender-fluid and uses they/them pronouns, told Pitchfork that Butler, 42, made “unwanted advances and used his status as a musician to pressure them into sexual situations.”
He claims they were “consensual” encounters. The artist told Pitchfork, “I vehemently deny any suggestion that I forced myself on a woman or demanded sexual favors. That simply, and unequivocally, never happened.”
Butler went on to share about his mental health struggles, in addition to struggles with alcoholism but said, “None of this is intended to excuse my behavior.” He did confirm that he has been attending AA meetings as well as undergoing therapy.
When contacted by several news outlets, reps for Butler say that he has no additional statements to make outside of what was said to Pitchfork.
