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Label that dropped Zex over sexual assault claims retracts allegations
By Andy Malt | Published on Thursday 27 September 2018
The owner of a record label that dropped Canadian punk band Zex over sexual assault claims against guitarist Jo Capitalcide has withdrawn his allegations. In return the musician has dropped a defamation lawsuit against the label boss.
In a new statement on the record company’s Facebook page, Magic Bullet founder Brent Eyestone says: “In September 2017, I published a statement on the website of Magic Bullet Records, and on Facebook, in which I made certain allegations about Jo Capitalcide, guitarist of the band Zex. My statement was later republished on social media and by various news outlets including Pitchfork, CBC and The Star”.
“Upon reflection”, he goes on, “I hereby retract these allegations without reservation. The statements that I made were unverified and I regret any impact such statements may have had on Capitalicide and Zex”.
He then adds: “I am also pleased to announce that the litigation commenced by Jo Capitalcide against Magic Bullet Records and me has been resolved and we have all agreed to put this matter behind us”.
Zex drew massive media attention last year after some of their songs were accidentally pressed on vinyl copies of Beyonce’s ‘Lemonade’ album. This prompted a number of people to come forward with assault accusations against Capitalcide, leading to Eyestone’s decision to cut his ties with the band.
At the time, Eyestone said that “information shared first-hand by singer Gretchen Steel” had confirmed one of the accusations shared with him directly. But Steel then denied this and Capitalcide promptly launched his legal action.
Magic Bullet Records subsequently shut down at the end of the year and Eyestone launched a new company called Dark Operative.
A statement on the Zex Facebook page acknowledges that Eyestone has retracted his earlier statements, although does not comment directly on the dropping of the lawsuit.
