Last week, a woman named Caitlyn Stiffler accused former Of Mice & Men vocalist Austin Carlile of sexual assault. She also criticized Alternative Press for allegedly burying a story that would claim that Carlile raped and sexual assaulted fifteen women during his time in Of Mice & Men. Both AltPress and Austin Carlile have since issued statements.
After AltPress initially said “we’re going to reopen this & find the answers you’re looking for,” and have since issued a much more lengthy apology. Today, Carlile posted a statement denying the accusations, calling them “false and defamatory.” He wrote:
“In my younger years, I absolutely was not the best person, but I have never physically abused, preyed upon, forced myself upon, or drugged any woman. These accusations are false and defamatory.
“I am not a perfect person: I smoked marijuana daily, drank often, got into fights and acted like a jerk more times than I can count. I did things and acted in ways that I am not proud of, but never have I violated anyone.
“These ‘accusations’ being thrown around on social media, in our current ‘cancel culture’ climate, are extremely heinous and completely without merit.
“My wife is a molestation and rape survivor, and I have personally seen the deep, long-standing pain that she battles with every day. I have spent years surrendering my flesh over to God, allowing Him to constantly improve who I am as a man, husband, and father.
“During this past week, I have even had the joy of seeing the heartbeat of my new child for the very first time. Today, I am focused on supporting my pregnant wife, our daughter, this new blessing in our lives, my health, my wife’s health, and striving to be a better person every day.
“These accusations have been investigated by the appropriate authorities as well as independent journalists and were determined to be unfounded.
“I apologise to the Marfan Foundation, I Am Second, my former bandmates and any of our dedicated fans who have been unjustly brought into this controversy and wish them all nothing but the best.
“All women deserve to feel safe, supported, and heard, but these unjust attacks upon my family and accusations against me, are decades-old claims that are unfounded.”
