Anti-Flag frontman Justin Sane has issued a statement denying allegations of sexual assault.
The statement arrives a week after the long-running punk outfit announced simply that “Anti-Flag has disbanded,” offering no other details or context. Ahead of the announcement, a podcast called enough. published an episode in which a woman accuses a “singer of a political punk band” of rape. While the singer is never explicitly identified, listeners speculated that the allegations were about Sane.
In an Instagram post published Wednesday, July 26, Sane writes, “I can tell you that these stories are categorically false.”
“I have never engaged in a sexual relationship that was not consensual, nor have I ever been approached by a woman after a sexual encounter and been told I had in any way acted without her consent or violated her in any way,” the post reads. “Sexual assault is real and has a devast[at]ing impact on victims. I have devoted my entire adult life to standing up for these victims as well as those suffering oppression and inequality, who are victimized, demeaned, and abused.”
“I have always been, and will always be, that person,” Sane continues. “The statements being told about me are the antithesis of what I believe and how I have conducted myself throughout my life.
In their own statement, the other three members — drummer Pat Thetic, guitarist Chris Head and bassist Chris “No. 2” Barker — write that they were “shocked, confused, saddened and absolutely heartbroken” by the allegations.
“A core tenet of the band Anti-Flag is to listen to and believe all survivors of sexual violence and abuse,” the trio says. “The recent allegations about Justin are in direct contradiction to that tenet. Therefore, we felt the only immediate option was to disband.”
If you are affected by abuse and needing support, or know someone who is, call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233, or the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673). You can also chat online at thehotline.org or online.rainn.org, respectively.
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