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Artist News Legal
Conor Oberst sues over rape claims
By Andy Malt | Published on Friday 21 February 2014
Conor Oberst is suing for defamation a woman who claimed he raped her in 2003, when she was sixteen.
The claims were made in a comment on the xoJane website in December, but later deleted. However, online discussion resulted in a statement being issued by Oberst’s publicist, saying that the claims were “absolutely, unequivocally false” and indicating that legal action was being considered.
In a statement earlier this week, a spokesperson for Oberst confirmed that he was now suing the woman who made the claim for $1 million. The statement said that she has a “history of inventing stories and personalities online in order to gain attention” and noted that after making the claims, she has subsequently written positively about the last time she saw Oberst’s former band Bright Eyes perform.
It continues: “Oberst is seeking to promote the truth and repair the distress this has brought upon him and his family”. Any damages awarded to him, the statement went on, will be donated to charities “benefiting the victims of violence against women”.
