Win Butler, of Arcade Fire, performs at Forecastle Music Festival in Louisville, Ky., in 2018.Amy Harris/The Associated Press
Win Butler, the singer and guitarist of the Grammy-winning Canadian band Arcade Fire, has responded to allegations of sexual misconduct by multiple women, saying the extramarital relationships were consensual, but that he was sorry if his behaviour had hurt anyone.
U.S. music publication Pitchfork reported this weekend that three women allege Mr. Butler engaged in sexual interactions that were inappropriate because of gaps in age and power dynamics, while one gender-fluid person who uses they/them pronouns accused Mr. Butler of sexually assaulting them.
The allegations span from 2015 to 2020, and were made by people who were between the ages of 18 and 23 at the time, while Mr. Butler was in his mid-to-late 30s.
In a statement provided to The Globe and Mail by Mr. Butler’s public relations team, he “vehemently” denied any non-consensual behaviour, but apologized to anyone he had hurt.
“While these relationships were all consensual, I am very sorry to anyone who I have hurt with my behaviour,” said Mr. Butler in the statement. He also said that while he has long struggled from childhood abuse and depression after a miscarriage in his family, neither was an excuse for his actions.
“Life is filled with tremendous pain and error, and I never want to be part of causing someone else’s pain.”
In the Pitchfork report, one person alleged that Mr. Butler stuck his hands down their pants without consent while driving home from a dinner together. The same person, who was 21 at the time, said Mr. Butler, then 34, showed up at their home on an occasion when they told him not to, made aggressive sexual advances, and berated them for denying those advances.
Mr. Butler denied any non-consensual behaviour, said he never berated the person, and that during the car ride he touched the person’s inner thigh but removed it after they said “not in the car” in response.
In another allegation, a woman said Mr. Butler sent pictures of his genitals through text against her wishes, after they started talking following a charity basketball game at which the Arcade Fire singer played host. The woman, who was 18 at the time, said the images, and Mr. Butler’s attempt to get her to sext him, were unwanted.
In a statement to Pitchfork, Mr. Butler presented a different story that involved the woman sending sexual text messages back. However, he admitted he could now see the inappropriate nature of his age gap with the woman he was texting.
Two other women recounted experiences of sexting with Mr. Butler, in which they alleged that Mr. Butler demanded sexually explicit videos to be sent of them in similar poses or sex acts, and speak certain lines to the camera or to dress in certain outfits.
One of the women told Pitchfork about how that relationship with Mr. Butler took a toll on her mental health, and how she attempted suicide by taking a large quantity of extra-strength Tylenol after an in-person sexual encounter.
Mr. Butler said he spoke with the woman afterward about her mental illness, which he said he was sympathetic to. He also told Pitchfork the woman said her depression was unrelated to him, although the woman told Pitchfork that he was indeed the reason for it.
Mr. Butler’s wife Régine Chassagne, who is also a member of Arcade Fire, came to Mr. Butler’s defence in a statement, saying she has stood by him in his moments of “immense pain.” Ms. Chassagne knew of the extramarital relationships, and Mr. Butler characterized their marriage as “unconventional” compared with others.
“I know what is in his heart, and I know he has never, and would never, touch a woman without her consent and I am certain he never did,” said Ms. Chassagne in a statement provided to The Globe.
“He has lost his way and he has found his way back. I love him and love the life we have created together.”
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