The German band Rammstein has responded to new allegations of misconduct against lead singer Till Lindemann and the band on Instagram. The band states that they condemn all forms of violence.
“The publications of recent days have caused irritation and questions among the public and especially among our fans,” writes the band. “The allegations have hit us all very hard and we take them extremely seriously. We say to our fans: it is important to us that you feel comfortable and safe at our shows, both on and off stage.” The band condemns “all forms of violence,” writes Rammstein.
They also ask not to judge the people who have made the allegations. “They have the right to their opinion. But we, the band, also have a right, namely not to be judged.”
After a concert in the Lithuanian capital Vilnius, a Northern Irish woman accused Lindemann of having drugged her. The band denies this, and a drug test carried out by Lithuanian authorities was negative. Meanwhile, more women are accusing the singer of abuse of power, violence, and sexual misconduct.
At least two women are reported to have had sex against their will with Lindemann, according to NDR and the Süddeutsche Zeitung based on conversations with dozens of people involved. “Rammstein regularly recruited young women, so Lindemann could have sex with them,” says NDR. A ‘sophisticated system’ was designed to lure female fans into meeting their great idol. With the aid of alcohol and drugs, Lindemann then imposed himself on the women, according to the Süddeutsche Zeitung’s investigation. Lindemann has not yet responded to all allegations.
Prospective women were scouted by the entourage – prior to the Rammstein shows – and placed in ‘Row zero’ at performances. This is close to the stage, allowing fans to disappear backstage immediately after the show. This includes 23-year-old Cynthia A., who attended a concert in Hanover in 2019. “I resisted the sex,” she claims. In a hotel, another young woman is said to have had sexual intercourse against her will and to the point of bleeding with Lindemann. The female fans were lured with work or money promises. But little came of those promises so NDR says.
German publisher KiWi ends collaboration with Lindemann
It is unclear whether German fans will actually see the band. Rammstein’s management has not yet responded to questions from German media. The German publisher KiWi (Kiepenheuer & Witsch) did not wait and ended the collaboration with Lindemann on Friday afternoon.
Cologne-based publishing house Kiepenheuer & Witsch (KiWi) claims to have become aware of a music video that Lindemann released in 2020 in the form of a pornographic film. A bit strange they use that as a reason since this video (and another one) was widely commented back when it was released.
The clip, which shows the singer engaged in sexual activities with several young women, was the last straw for the publisher. After publishing two volumes of poetry with Lindemann, the collaboration has now ended.
The publisher also made this decision public on its social media channels. On Instagram, KiWi’s post divides users – while some praise the publisher for this move, others criticise it and accuse the publisher’s management of pre-judging the singer and poet.
Back in 2020, there was criticism of Kiepenheuer & Witsch after they published Lindemann’s poetry collection “100 Poems”. This includes a poem in which the lyrical I tells of the rape of a sleeping person. Many people therefore feel the publisher’s decision is coming too late – especially since the mentioned pornographic film was also circulating on the internet three years ago.
“First turn a blind eye when women are treated as objects and make good money from it. But now express ignorance and outrage,” one user accuses the publisher. “For a long time you have benefited greatly from a man who glorifies rape under the influence of date-rape drugs in his literature. Didn’t that give you pause?” another commentator agrees.
The implications for Lindemann’s solo tour – which was due to visit our country on 10 December are still unclear.
The post Rammstein becoming increasingly entangled in a big #MeToo scandal first appeared on SIDE-LINE MAGAZINE.
Original Source: SIDE-LINE MAGAZINE