A fifth person has come forward to accuse Arcade Fire frontman Win Butler of "emotionally manipulative" and sexually inappropriate behaviour, outlining a three-year on-again-off-again relationship during which she says Butler "exploited [her] body at times that were convenient for him."
The following article contains potentially triggering material relating to sexual misconduct. If you believe you have experienced or witnessed sexual misconduct and are looking for support, consult the Canadian Resource Centre for Victims of Crime to find resources in your area.
These new accusations follow Pitchfork's bombshell August 2022 report that outlined accusations from four individuals of sexual misconduct and manipulation by Butler.
In the months following the report, Arcade Fire's music was pulled from radio rotation by several stations and Feist (and eventually Beck) dropped out of their opening slots on the band's tour. Arcade Fire's tour is ongoing and has not been cancelled as of this writing.
In statements made to Pitchfork under the pseudonym Sabine, the woman says she met Butler in the summer of 2015 when she was 22 and Butler was 35. The two met at the coffee shop where Sabine worked and bonded over literature. Eventually, they struck up a romantic and sexual relationship that Sabine described to Pitchfork as "an ongoing abusive relationship. Emotionally abusive, manipulative, toxic, and using his power dynamic to exploit my body at times that were convenient for him. He met me when I was so vulnerable."
Sabine goes on to describe a series of sexually manipulative encounters with Butler both in person and through text that included constant demands for sexually explicit photos and aggressive sexual behaviour.
It was just being available for sex in any form, whether that was in person when he was in town, whether it was photos, and to engage in sexting when he wanted it to happen. There was an urgency to his needs that didn't account for my needs or what was going on in my life or my situation or my whereabouts. When he wanted sex, it was expected that I would be up and ready for it, because it was so nice of him to make time for it or something.
Sabine's relationship with Butler spanned approximately the same four-year time frame as the other accusers, and she told Pitchfork that she last saw Butler in June of 2018. You can read the entire account here.
The following article contains potentially triggering material relating to sexual misconduct. If you believe you have experienced or witnessed sexual misconduct and are looking for support, consult the Canadian Resource Centre for Victims of Crime to find resources in your area.
These new accusations follow Pitchfork's bombshell August 2022 report that outlined accusations from four individuals of sexual misconduct and manipulation by Butler.
In the months following the report, Arcade Fire's music was pulled from radio rotation by several stations and Feist (and eventually Beck) dropped out of their opening slots on the band's tour. Arcade Fire's tour is ongoing and has not been cancelled as of this writing.
In statements made to Pitchfork under the pseudonym Sabine, the woman says she met Butler in the summer of 2015 when she was 22 and Butler was 35. The two met at the coffee shop where Sabine worked and bonded over literature. Eventually, they struck up a romantic and sexual relationship that Sabine described to Pitchfork as "an ongoing abusive relationship. Emotionally abusive, manipulative, toxic, and using his power dynamic to exploit my body at times that were convenient for him. He met me when I was so vulnerable."
Sabine goes on to describe a series of sexually manipulative encounters with Butler both in person and through text that included constant demands for sexually explicit photos and aggressive sexual behaviour.
It was just being available for sex in any form, whether that was in person when he was in town, whether it was photos, and to engage in sexting when he wanted it to happen. There was an urgency to his needs that didn't account for my needs or what was going on in my life or my situation or my whereabouts. When he wanted sex, it was expected that I would be up and ready for it, because it was so nice of him to make time for it or something.
Sabine's relationship with Butler spanned approximately the same four-year time frame as the other accusers, and she told Pitchfork that she last saw Butler in June of 2018. You can read the entire account here.
