By: Theo a. Katz
Famous Indie singer, Rex Orange County (Alexander O’Connor), has recently been charged with six counts of sexual assault.
These accusations came weeks after he had to pause his debut world tour, following the release of his fourth studio album, Who Cares?.
“This is the last thing I want to do,” said O’Connor, in an article by The New York Post. “I love touring and I am so sorry to be letting anyone down. I look forward to getting back to it as soon as I can.”
The anonymous accuser claims O’Connor assaulted her twice in London’s West End on June 1, 2021; once in a taxi and thrice in his Notting Hill home on June 2, 2021, according to Vulture. Many fans are shocked and disappointed in the singer, taking their hatred to his Instagram page and leaving comments regarding their feelings about the accusations and the decision to put a pause on his debut tour.
Fans first heard the news when O’Connor had to cancel his Australia, New Zealand, and Europe tour dates due to “unforeseen personal circumstances.” Later, news reports came out that he was accused of sexual assault.
A provisional court trial is set for Jan. 3, 2023, in accordance with The Los Angeles Times. A representative for O’Connor put out a statement regarding his appearance in court and the allegations.
“O’Connor is shocked by the allegations which he denies, and looks forward to clearing his name in court” said the representative.
O’Connor first rose to fame on the music scene in 2017, releasing his first single “Best Friend” which now has over 500 million streams on Spotify. Soon after, he released his debut album, Apricot Princess. It wasn’t until the summer of 2017 where he truly stepped into the spotlight, appearing as a feature on two songs, “Boredom” and “Foreword,” on Tyler, the Creator’s sixth studio album, Flower Boy.
O’Connor is best known for his 2019 hit, “Pluto Projector,” which has been streamed over 200 million times on Spotify, and has been a viral song on the social media app, TikTok, which appears on his album Pony.
According to Vulture, O’Connor pleaded not guilty on Oct. 10, and was released on unconditional bail. He is putting a hold on creating new music and touring until after the court date.
“I am having to spend some time at home this year and I will not be able to continue with touring as planned,” said O’Connor.
Being featured on a Tyler, the Creator album is a big first-step to fame. “I can tell you all the bad things [about celebrity] – and I do on [Pony, his second album], but without that stuff, I couldn’t have filled the Roxy with two day’s notice,” said O’Connor.
O’Connor is not allowed to make any further comment to the public as this is an ongoing investigation.
