Canadian singer-songwriter Feist has announced that she will be dropping off Arcade Fire's European tour following allegations of sexual misconduct brought forth against the frontman Win Butler.
In a statement explaining her decision on social media, Feist said that she and her band had already traveled to Europe for the tour when she learned of the accusations against Butler on Saturday.
She performed at the first gig marking the start of the tour in Dublin but donated proceeds generated from merchandise sales to a local women's aid organization.
"This has ignited a conversation that is bigger than me, it's bigger than my songs and it's certainly bigger than any rock and roll tour," she wrote, adding that to stay on tour would symbolize "I was either defending or ignoring the harm caused by Win Butler and to leave would imply I was the judge and jury."
Feist wrote that her own experiences were the same as those of the people she had spoken to since the news about Butler broke, and the many strangers whom she "may only be able to reach with this letter, or not at all."
"We all have a story within a spectrum ranging from baseline toxic masculinity to pervasive misogyny to actually being physically, psychologically, emotionally or sexually assaulted," Feist continued. "This situation touches each of our lives and speaks to us in a language unique to each of our processing. There isn't a singular path to heal when you've endured any version of the above, nor a singular path to rehabilitate the perpetrators. It can be a lonely road to make sense of ill treatment. I can't solve that by quitting, and I can't solve it by staying. But I can't continue."
Arcade Fire addressed Feist's announcement with a short statement to Rolling Stone saying, "We are very sorry to see Leslie go home, but completely understand and respect her decision."
On Saturday Pitchfork published a report in which multiple women accused Butler, who is married to Arcade Fire's Régine Chassagne, of sexual assault or unsolicited sexting.
Butler admitted to the extramarital affairs, saying that the encounters were all "consensual," but dismissed any further allegations against him.
"I vehemently deny any suggestion that I forced myself on a woman or demanded sexual favors," he said. "That simply, and unequivocally, never happened."
Zoe Papadakis ✉
Zoe Papadakis is a Newsmax writer based in South Africa with two decades of experience specializing in media and entertainment. She has been in the news industry as a reporter, writer and editor for newspapers, magazine and websites.
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