Phoebe Bridgers has released a new statement addressing the recent allegations of abuse made against Ryan Adams earlier this week. In an Instagram post from earlier tonight (February 16), Bridgers wrote:

“It’s been a weird week and I wanted to say a couple things. Thank you from my whole fucking heart to my friends, my bands, my mom. They all supported and validated me. They told me that what had happened was fucked up and wrong, and that I was right to feel weird about it. I couldn’t have done this without them. Ryan had a network too. Friends, bands, people he worked with. None of them held him accountable. They told him, by what they said or by what they didn’t, that what he was doing was okay. They validated him. He couldn’t have done this without them. Guys, if your friend is acting fucked up, call them out. If they’re actually your friend, they’ll listen. That’s the way this all gets better.”

Find her full post below.

Bridgers was one of several women interviewed in a February 13 New York Times report that detailed multiple accounts of alleged abuse by Ryan Adams. Bridgers claimed that Adams reached out to her in 2014, when she was 20 years old, offering to help her with her career. According to Bridgers, their professional correspondence turned into a romantic relationship that eventually became emotionally abusive. Bridgers stated that Adams refused to assist her professionally once she broke up with him, and on one occasion, exposed himself to her.

In addition to Bridgers, Adams’ ex-wife Mandy Moore, singer-songwriter Courtney Jaye, and other women gave accounts of their experiences with Adams, which allegedly involved abuse ranging from emotional manipulation to sexual misconduct. The report also detailed accounts from a woman identified as Ava, who claimed she began talking to Adams when she was 14, engaging in an online relationship with him that eventually led to sexual conversations and at least one instance during which Adams allegedly exposed himself to her over Skype. The FBI has now opened an inquiry into Adams’ alleged online relationship with Ava while she was a minor.

Since the allegations were made public via the Times, several of Adams’ previous collaborators have released statements about their own experiences with the musician, including Liz Phair, Karen Elson, Mandy Moore, Natalie Prass, and Jenny Lewis. Additionally, Adams’ new album Big Colors was recently pulled from its scheduled April 19 release. Musical equipment companies Benson Amps and JHS Pedals, which produced signature amplifiers and guitar pedals with Adams, have also ended their relationships with the musician.

Adams denied all allegations in a statement to the Times via his attorney, as well as in a series of Tweets following the Times’ initial report.

Read “Why Are Women Underrepresented in Music? Look to the Ryan Adams Story” on the Pitch.

https://pitchfork.com/news/phoebe-bridgers-issues-new-statement-on-ryan-adams-abuse-allegations