Black Flag's Greg Ginn Accused of Child Abuse

BY Alex HudsonPublished Oct 14, 2014

Black Flag have been struck with controversy once again, and this time it's even more unpleasant than all those lineup changes and band name disputes. This latest development surrounds co-founding guitarist and primary songwriter Greg Ginn, who has been accused of child abuse by his ex-wife.

Consequence of Sound reports that Marina Ginn filed an affidavit in Williamson County Texas District Court on October 10. Marina requested an "emergency motion to modify the parent-child relationship," claiming that "I believe my children's health and welfare is currently being jeopardized."

The pair's two daughters apparently live with their father in a building that also serves as his office and band practice space. In the affidavit, Marina alleges, "They [the daughters] have complained that his behavior has recently grown increasingly erratic, that he is routinely denying them food and threatening them, that he is increasingly abusing alcohol and drugs in front of them, and that they have witnessed confrontations and physical violence at the building where they live."

The girls, ages 7 and 10, are apparently given unpalatable food, locked in a room alone, forced to do chores until the early hours of the morning, are homeschooled, and have had cups of water thrown in their faces, according to the affidavit. Marina claims that Greg "tells them 'you're hot' and whistles at them," and that the girls have expressed that they feel unsafe. One of the daughters even reportedly ended up in the emergency room with signs of stress.

The full affidavit is here.

As of yet, Ginn has made no comment concerning the allegations.

Along with heading up Black Flag, Ginn also founded the label SST Records. In recent years, he has waged a legal war against his former bandmates who began performing under the name FLAG.

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