Rex Orange County just had a major legal win.
If you’re not aware, the 24-year-old singer, born Alexander O’Connor, was accused of sexually assaulting a woman six times over the course of two days back in June. The assaults allegedly took place in London, with the first two taking place on June 1 in the West End, followed by another assault in a taxi the next day, and then three more times in his Notting Hill home.
The revelation quickly put into perspective why he canceled July tour dates in Australia, New Zealand, and Europe, as the legal issues took precedence — however, he adamantly denied all the allegations, with a representative telling Variety in October:
“Alex is shocked by the allegations, which he denies, and looks forward to clearing his name in court. He is unable to make any further comment because of the ongoing proceedings.”
Word has been quiet now for two months, but finally some news has come out… and it’s definitely in the Pluto Projector performer’s favor.
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Early Thursday morning, Alex himself took to both Twitter AND Instagram to share news that all charges against him have officially been dropped. He explained:
“Today, all charges against me have been dropped. The Crown Prosecution Service reviewed the evidence and decided that there is no merit in this case going to trial, not [sic] guilty verdicts were entered to all the charges. I have always denied these allegations and am grateful that the independent evidence has cleared me of any wrongdoing. I have never assaulted anyone and I do not condone violence or abusive behaviour of any kind.”
We’re sure this is a major relief for the Sunflower singer, as well as fans who were stunned by the shocking accusations. He went on to describe exactly what happened and how the “evidence” proved his innocence:
“I would like to clarify some details around what I was accused of, as I have not been able to address this until now and inaccuracies about the case have circulated. I was wrongly accused of touching someone one evening on their leg, neck, back, and bottom. That led to 6 charges of sexual assault. The only evidence against me was the individual’s account. However, CCTV footage obtained by the police contradicted their version of events. Their partner was also present throughout the evening in question and gave a statement to the police which did not support the allegations against me.”
He concluded:
“It’s been a difficult time for everyone involved and I’d like to thank the people who have helped me through it as well as my family and loved ones for their continued support.”
See his full statement (below):
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Many fans have since begun rejoicing, even flooding his comments with things like, “Okay thank god i can now listen to his music again.” However, we want to reiterate that it’s completely normal to still feel apprehensive as the situation was extremely serious. What are YOUR thoughts? Will you begin supporting him once again or has your view of the singer been permanently altered? Let us know in the comments down below.
If you or someone you know has experienced sexual violence and would like to learn more about resources, consider checking out https://www.rainn.org/resources.
[Image via Avalon/WENN]
