Axl Rose Faces Sexual Assault Allegations

Axl Rose, the frontman of Guns N’ Roses, is currently facing a lawsuit for a sexual assault that allegedly took place over 30 years ago. Sheila Kennedy claims that in 1989, Rose violently assaulted her in his New York hotel room on the night they met.

According to Rolling Stone, Kennedy and Rose met at a nightclub before heading to his hotel room. Kennedy states that Rose pushed her against the wall and kissed her, a move she initially found attractive and was open to exploring further.

However, the situation took a dark turn when Kennedy witnessed Rose engaging in what appeared to be a painful sexual encounter with another model. Disturbed by this, Kennedy left Rose’s room and sought refuge in the room of MTV VJ Riki Rachtman, where she heard Rose screaming at the model and causing a commotion.

Despite leaving, Kennedy claims that Rose later dragged her back to his room, where he tied her up with pantyhose and forcibly penetrated her. She describes Rose as being in a sexual, volatile rage, and emphasizes that she did not consent to the encounter and felt overpowered.

Rose’s attorney, as reported by TMZ, has denied these allegations, stating that Rose has no recollection of ever meeting or speaking to Kennedy and had not heard of these accusations before. Kennedy had previously spoken about this incident in her 2016 memoir and in the 2021 documentary Look Away.

Kennedy’s lawsuit is part of a growing trend of survivors utilizing New York’s Adult Survivors Act to address assaults by men in the music industry that occurred decades ago. Rose’s attorney pointed out that the lawsuit was filed on the day before the extended filing deadline expired, indicating a deliberate timing.

Other prominent figures in the music industry, such as L.A. Reid, Sean “Diddy” Combs, former Recording Academy CEO Neil Portnow, and Stephen Tyler, are also facing similar allegations stemming from past incidents.