Arcade Fire's Win Butler Accused Of Sexual Misconduct By Four Separate Individuals

Arcade Fire's Win Butler (Photo: Christian Bertrand / Shutterstock.com)

ARCADE FIRE's WIN BUTLER has been accused of sexual misconduct by four women, though the singer claims the relationships were consensual and came when he was in a "dark place.: The story first broke in PITCHFORK, perhaps the group's biggest supporter.

One of the accusers, a gender-fluid individual who uses they/them pronouns, claimed BUTLER sexually assaulted them twice in 2015 when they were 21 years old.

Three of the accusers are women who say their relationships were inappropriate due to an age gap and “power dynamics” between them and the singer. Those accusers say the interactions took place between 2016 and 2020, when they were between the ages of 18 and 23, and BUTLER was in his late 30s. 

BUTLER, who formed ARCADE FIRE in 2001 with his now-wife REGINE CHASSAGNE, denied any wrongdoing, claiming the "interactions were consensual" and he did not initiate any of them. 

The accusers described alleged unwanted touching, kisses and photos of genitalia. The singer said in a statement he was going through a period of depression and heavy drinking at the time.

"I love REGINE with all of my heart," he said in a statement. "We have been together for 20 years, she is my partner in music and in life, my soulmate and I am lucky and grateful to have her by my side. But at times, it has been difficult to balance being the father, husband, and bandmate that I want to be. Today I want to clear the air about my life, poor judgment, and mistakes I have made. I have had consensual relationships outside of my marriage.

“There is no easy way to say this, and the hardest thing I have ever done is having to share this with my son. The majority of these relationships were short-lived, and my wife is aware – our marriage has, in the past, been more unconventional than some,” his statement continued.

“I have connected with people in person, at shows, and through social media, and I have shared messages of which I am not proud. Most importantly, every single one of these interactions has been mutual and always between consenting adults. It is deeply revisionist, and frankly just wrong, for anyone to suggest otherwise.

“I have never touched a woman against her will, and any implication that I have is simply false. I vehemently deny any suggestion that I forced myself on a woman or demanded sexual favors. That simply, and unequivocally, never happened.

“While these relationships were all consensual, I am very sorry to anyone who I have hurt with my behavior. Life is filled with tremendous pain and error, and I never want to be part of causing someone else’s pain.”

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