Legendary Rock Star Axl Rose Faces Explosive Allegations of Sexual Assault in Recent Lawsuit
Former model Sheila Kennedy has recently filed a lawsuit against Axl Rose, the infamous frontman of Guns N’ Roses, accusing him of sexually assaulting her over 30 years ago in New York. According to the lawsuit obtained by Rolling Stone from the New York Supreme Court, Kennedy, who was a former Penthouse model and Pet of the Year in 1983, claimed that she met Rose in 1989 at a nightclub in New York when she was around 26 years old. The alleged assault took place after Rose invited her to his hotel room.
In the lawsuit, Kennedy detailed how she was plied with cocaine, champagne, and other alcohol by Rose at his hotel room. The evening took a turn when Rose reportedly began to have sex with another model in the room, making Kennedy feel uncomfortable. Subsequently, Rose allegedly became aggressive in a way that appeared painful for the woman he was with. Feeling uneasy about the situation, Kennedy left the room along with another model and future MTV host, Riki Rachtman.
As they left Rose’s room, Kennedy heard glass shattering and Rose yelling at the model. Rachtman warned Kennedy that things were about to get bad. Rose then allegedly pushed Kennedy to the ground, dragged her by the hair across the suite, and forcibly tied her hands behind her back with pantyhose.
The lawsuit describes the harrowing experience Kennedy endured as she lay on the bed with Rose, feeling vulnerable and alone, while he subjected her to a sexual assault. Kennedy felt powerless and believed that saying no or attempting to resist Rose’s advances would lead to physical violence against her. The lawsuit further detailed Kennedy’s PTSD-like symptoms triggered by hearing Rose’s name or his band’s music.
Kennedy has brought charges of assault, battery, intentional infliction of emotional distress, and gender-motivated violence against Rose, seeking unspecified damages to be determined by the court. Rose’s lawyer has vehemently denied the allegations, stating that the incident never occurred and expressing confidence that the case will be resolved in his favor.
This lawsuit adds to a history of abuse allegations against Rose, referencing past claims of sexual and domestic violence brought forward by his former partners. Kennedy previously wrote about the alleged incident in her autobiography in 2016 and shared her story in the 2021 documentary ‘Look Away,’ focusing on sexual misconduct in the music industry.
The lawsuit was filed under New York’s Adult Survivors Act, which has waived the statute of limitations on sexual misconduct claims for civil suits. This has led to a wave of allegations against high-profile music industry figures like Steven Tyler, L.A. Reid, Neil Portnow, Kenny MacPherson, and the deceased Ahmet Ertegun.
