Conor Oberst Rape Accuser Retracts Allegations Against Bright Eyes Frontman

Bright Eyes frontman Conor Oberst’s rape accuser Joanie Faircloth has recanted her allegation.

Conor Oberst Rape Accuser Recants

“The statements I made and repeated online and elsewhere over the past six months accusing Conor Oberst of raping me are 100% false,” Faircloth said in a statement published by Spin magazine. “I made up those lies about him to get attention while I was going through a difficult period in my life and trying to cope with my son’s illness.”

In her allegations, Faircloth claimed that Oberst raped her following a 2003 concert when she was just 16 years old. She’d first accused the singer in the comments of an xoJane post about a woman who had been raped by her rocker boyfriend. After getting attention for her comment, Faircloth went on to write a more detailed account of the alleged sexual assault on Tumblr, which has since been deleted.

Upon getting wind of the story, Oberst sued Faircloth in February for defamation, seeking $1.2 million in damages. It’s unknown if Oberst will continue to pursue the defamation suit now that Faircloth has recanted her accusations.

Oberst is currently on tour in Europe. His latest solo album, Upside Down Mountain, was released back in May.

GET THE FREE uINTERVIEW iPHONE APP FOR LATEST NEWS UPDATES