Axl Rose, the leader of Guns N’ Roses, is being sued by former model Sheila Kennedy for alleged abuse and sexual assault. She filed a complaint alleging that the well-known rock singer assaulted her in a violent 1989 hotel room altercation in New York.
Credit: BBC
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Guns N’ Roses
is a Los Angeles, California-based American hard rock band that was founded in March 1985 through the merger of the local bands Hollywood Rose and L.A. Guns. The band’s “classic lineup” of lead guitarist Slash, rhythm guitarist Izzy Stradlin, bassist Duff McKagan, drummer Steven Adler, and vocalist Axl Rose when they signed with Geffen Records in 1986. Rose, Slash, McKagan, guitarist Richard Fortus, drummer Frank Ferrer, and keyboardists Melissa Reese and Dizzy Reed make up the current lineup.
Izzy Stradlin of Hollywood Rose and Tracii Guns of L.A. Guns shared a home in 1984. Hollywood Rose singer Axl Rose was recommended by Stradlin to L.A. Guns when they needed a new singer. This resulted in the formation of Guns N’ Roses in March 1985 by bassist Ole Beich, drummer Rob Gardner, lead guitarist Guns, and rhythm guitarist Rose Stradlin of L.A. Guns.
Guns N’ Roses at Glastonbury Festival 2023. From left to right: Dizzy Reed, Richard Fortus, Duff McKagan, Axl Rose, Slash, Melissa Reese and Frank Ferrer
The Accusation of Assault
According to the lawsuit, Ms. Kennedy was diagnosed with anxiety and depression as a result of the claimed attack. Requests for comment from BBC News were not answered by Mr. Rose’s agents. According to her claim, Ms. Kennedy is suing Mr. Rose for intentional infliction of emotional distress and assault motivated by gender. A jury trial has been requested by her attorneys.
Days before a statute of limitations that permits victims of sexual assault to sue their alleged perpetrators regardless of when the first statute of limitations ran out, the case was filed in the New York Supreme Court. In her lawsuit, Ms. Kennedy stated that she first met Mr. Rose in a New York City nightclub in early 1989 while she was a 26-year-old model for Penthouse magazine.
She claims in the lawsuit that hours later, the singer attacked her physically and sexually in his hotel suite. In a statement to CNN, Mr. Rose’s lawyer Alan S. Gutman denied Ms. Kennedy’s accusations.
According to the lawsuit, Mr. Rose hosted a drug and alcohol-fueled party in his hotel suite for Ms. Kennedy and another model. Even though Ms. Kennedy claimed she didn’t object when Mr. Rose “pushed Kennedy against the wall and kissed her” in their first encounter, her opinion of the rock star shifted as the evening went on. Ms Kennedy saw Mr. Rose have “aggressive” and “appeared painful for the model” sex with the other model, according to the lawsuit.
The lawsuit then claims that during an enraged altercation, the vocalist for Guns N’ Roses physically attacked Ms. Kennedy. It says he seized her by the hair and hauled her back to his bedroom across the suite. Ms. Kennedy claims that after trying to flee while bleeding, Mr. Rose detained her and attacked her sexually.
According to the lawsuit, Ms. Kennedy has experienced long-term emotional, physical, psychological, and financial effects from the incident. She has also allegedly developed symptoms similar to post-traumatic stress disorder when exposed to Guns N’ Roses music.
There have been past accusations of aggressive behavior against Mr. Rose. In a 1994 People magazine cover story, former partners Erin Everly and Stephanie Seymour accused Mr. Rose of physical abuse; Ms. Kennedy mentioned these allegations in her complaint.
