All Time Low and lead guitarist Jack Barakat are requesting the dismissal of the defamation and libel lawsuit they filed two years ago, having proven that anonymous allegations of sexual misconduct against the guitarist were "false and damaging online rumours."
Rolling Stone reports that in a new court filing, the band's attorney is asking the court to drop the case without prejudice.
All Time Low filed the complaint in 2022 against at least three anonymous defendants after guitarist Barakat was accused of sexual abuse and "inappropriate behaviour" involving underage girls. At the time, the band called the claims "absolutely and unequivocally false."
Per Rolling Stone, the central defendant in the case, Doe 2, claimed to be a 15-year-old girl who snuck backstage at a 2011 concert and started a decade-long relationship with Barakat that involved sexual abuse.
Following an investigation involving subpoenas and court orders, it was found that Doe 2 was actually multiple people who "spun an elaborate, fabricated story posing as a fan who incredibly and falsely claimed to have travelled with the band for more than 10 years," per lawyer Michael B. Garfinkel of Venable LLP.
"There is no such person and no such incidents occurred. Rather, an investigation revealed that Doe 2 was an orchestrated smear campaign by multiple individuals posing as a fake fan. The investigations identified individuals behind the anonymous post who went to great lengths to hide their identities," Garfinkel said in a statement to Rolling Stone. "All Time Low has chosen to handle the matter privately and protect the identities of those behind Doe 2, instead of pursuing further litigation at this time."
All Time Low issued a respective statement that reads, "This has been a challenging time for our band as we fought to clear and debunk these false and damaging online rumours. We remain deeply grateful for those who have supported us throughout this legal process, including our fans, our peers, and collaborators. With this case dismissed, we remain committed to continuing to foster a healthy, safe environment both at our concerts and within our fan community, and we look forward to the next chapter of All Time Low."