Guns N' Roses frontperson Axl Rose has been accused of sexual assault in a new lawsuit filed in the New York Supreme Court by former Penthouse model Sheila Kennedy. Obtained by Rolling Stone, the document alleges that Kennedy was violently assaulted by Rose in his New York hotel room after they met at a nightclub in 1989.
UPDATE (11/22, 4:15 p.m. ET): The musician's attorney, Alan S. Gutman, has issued the following statement on the matter:
Simply put, this incident never happened. Notably, these fictional claims were filed the day before the New York State filing deadline expires.
Though he doesn't deny the possibility of a fan photo taken in passing, Mr. Rose has no recollection of ever meeting or speaking to the Plaintiff, and has never heard about these fictional allegations prior to today.
Mr. Rose is confident this case will be resolved in his favour.
The following article contains potentially triggering material relating to sexual assault and violence. 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.
Kennedy claimed that she had been invited to the nightclub by a friend who wanted to meet the band. While the 1983 Pet of the Year found herself invited back to Rose's hotel for a party, her friend was allegedly "not hot enough" to attend.
Back at his room, the musician allegedly supplied guests with cocaine, as well as champagne and other alcohol. After Kennedy went to the bathroom, Rose was allegedly waiting outside the door for her — and, upon her exit, "pushed Kennedy against the wall and kissed her."
The filing reads, "Kennedy found Rose attractive and did not mind this encounter. She was open to sleeping with him if things progressed." However, the plaintiff claims she did not consent to the alleged sexual encounter that took place later that evening.
When it was just Kennedy, Rose, future MTV host Ricki Rachtman and another unidentified model in the room, the Guns N' Roses bandleader allegedly began having sex with the other model. Kennedy's claim alleges that this made her uncomfortable, with Rose allegedly being "aggressive in a way that appeared painful for the model." He was also allegedly "encouraging group sex," but Kennedy wasn't interested and left the room with Rachtman.
At that point, the plaintiff says she heard the sound of glass shattering and Rose screaming at the model, allegedly saying, "You're a fucking whore. Get the fuck out of here." Rachtman allegedly told Kennedy, "It's going to get bad." Rose then allegedly came down the hallway toward Rachtman's room, saw Kennedy and asked, "What the FUCK are you doing back here?"
The musician then allegedly pushed Kennedy to the floor, "grabbed her by the hair and dragged her across the suite back to his bedroom," with her knees bleeding from scraping the rug, according to the suit. Rose allegedly threw her on the bed, tying her hands behind her back with a pair of pantyhose and forcibly penetrating the plaintiff's anus with his penis.
"He treated her like property used solely for his sexual pleasure," the document reads. "He did not use a condom. Kennedy did not consent and felt overpowered. She felt she had no escape or exit and was compelled to acquiesce. She believed Rose would physically attack her, or worse, if she said no or attempted to push him away. She understood that the safest thing to do was to lie in bed and wait for Rose to finish assaulting her."
Kennedy has allegedly experienced PTSD-like symptoms since the incident, triggered by hearing Rose's name or Guns N' Roses' music. She's asking for unspecified damages to be determined by the court.
The filing comes under New York's Adult Survivors Act, a law that has waived the statute of limitations on sexual misconduct claims in civil suits for the past year. The window will close again on Friday (November 24). However, this isn't the first time Kennedy has come forward about her alleged experience with Rose, which she wrote about in her 2016 autobiography, No One's Pet, and spoke further on in the 2021 music industry sexual misconduct documentary Look Away.
Rose has been accused of sexual and domestic abuse multiple times over the years, with the lawsuit describing his "history of abuse" by referencing several other allegations — including the abuse claims the musician's former partners, Erin Everly and Stephanie Seymour, detailed in 1994 People magazine story.
UPDATE (11/22, 4:15 p.m. ET): The musician's attorney, Alan S. Gutman, has issued the following statement on the matter:
Simply put, this incident never happened. Notably, these fictional claims were filed the day before the New York State filing deadline expires.
Though he doesn't deny the possibility of a fan photo taken in passing, Mr. Rose has no recollection of ever meeting or speaking to the Plaintiff, and has never heard about these fictional allegations prior to today.
Mr. Rose is confident this case will be resolved in his favour.
The following article contains potentially triggering material relating to sexual assault and violence. 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.
Kennedy claimed that she had been invited to the nightclub by a friend who wanted to meet the band. While the 1983 Pet of the Year found herself invited back to Rose's hotel for a party, her friend was allegedly "not hot enough" to attend.
Back at his room, the musician allegedly supplied guests with cocaine, as well as champagne and other alcohol. After Kennedy went to the bathroom, Rose was allegedly waiting outside the door for her — and, upon her exit, "pushed Kennedy against the wall and kissed her."
The filing reads, "Kennedy found Rose attractive and did not mind this encounter. She was open to sleeping with him if things progressed." However, the plaintiff claims she did not consent to the alleged sexual encounter that took place later that evening.
When it was just Kennedy, Rose, future MTV host Ricki Rachtman and another unidentified model in the room, the Guns N' Roses bandleader allegedly began having sex with the other model. Kennedy's claim alleges that this made her uncomfortable, with Rose allegedly being "aggressive in a way that appeared painful for the model." He was also allegedly "encouraging group sex," but Kennedy wasn't interested and left the room with Rachtman.
At that point, the plaintiff says she heard the sound of glass shattering and Rose screaming at the model, allegedly saying, "You're a fucking whore. Get the fuck out of here." Rachtman allegedly told Kennedy, "It's going to get bad." Rose then allegedly came down the hallway toward Rachtman's room, saw Kennedy and asked, "What the FUCK are you doing back here?"
The musician then allegedly pushed Kennedy to the floor, "grabbed her by the hair and dragged her across the suite back to his bedroom," with her knees bleeding from scraping the rug, according to the suit. Rose allegedly threw her on the bed, tying her hands behind her back with a pair of pantyhose and forcibly penetrating the plaintiff's anus with his penis.
"He treated her like property used solely for his sexual pleasure," the document reads. "He did not use a condom. Kennedy did not consent and felt overpowered. She felt she had no escape or exit and was compelled to acquiesce. She believed Rose would physically attack her, or worse, if she said no or attempted to push him away. She understood that the safest thing to do was to lie in bed and wait for Rose to finish assaulting her."
Kennedy has allegedly experienced PTSD-like symptoms since the incident, triggered by hearing Rose's name or Guns N' Roses' music. She's asking for unspecified damages to be determined by the court.
The filing comes under New York's Adult Survivors Act, a law that has waived the statute of limitations on sexual misconduct claims in civil suits for the past year. The window will close again on Friday (November 24). However, this isn't the first time Kennedy has come forward about her alleged experience with Rose, which she wrote about in her 2016 autobiography, No One's Pet, and spoke further on in the 2021 music industry sexual misconduct documentary Look Away.
Rose has been accused of sexual and domestic abuse multiple times over the years, with the lawsuit describing his "history of abuse" by referencing several other allegations — including the abuse claims the musician's former partners, Erin Everly and Stephanie Seymour, detailed in 1994 People magazine story.