All Time Low have dropped a libel lawsuit against “false and damaging” accusations that alleged sexual misconduct towards minors.
In late-2021, guitarist Jack Barakat was accused of inappropriate sexual behaviour and sexual abuse towards female fans of the pop punk band that allegedly took place when they were minors.
The band swiftly issued a statement on social media addressing the accusations as “absolutely and unequivocally false”. Barakat later issued a statement of his own, saying he needed to “personally refute the claims being made against me and us, as they are 100% false”.
Months later, in 2022, the band filed a libel lawsuit to “identify the culprits, prove that the defamatory statements are false, and seek justice”, their complaint read. The band sought real and punitive damages against the three anonymous defendants, as well as an injunction ordering the Doe defendants to remove any defamatory posts.
In an exclusive story by Rolling Stone last Friday (November 8), the band’s lawyer has now asked the court to drop the case without prejudice. This means that the band reserves the right to revive the action in the future, per Rolling Stone.
The band’s statement reads: “This has been a challenging time for our band as we fought to clear and debunk these false and damaging online rumors. 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.”
Jack Barakat of All Time Low. Photo: Matthew Baker
A woman who went by the TikTok name @ATLstatement accused Barakat of sexual abuse that began in 2011 – when she was 15 years old – during the band’s tour behind their fourth studio album ‘Dirty Work’.
“I had no idea that a week after my fifteenth birthday, my hero would take advantage of me,” she wrote. In the lawsuit, the band originally claimed that the woman, referred to as Doe 2, “maliciously” posted the “elaborate and completely fabricated story” knowing it was false.
A new statement by the band’s lawyer Michael B. Garfinkel claims that a lengthy probe – involving subpoenas and court orders – determined that Doe 2 actually comprised of multiple people who posed “as a fan who incredibly and falsely claimed to have traveled with the band for more than 10 years.”
“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 wrote in the 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.”
Alex Gaskarth of All Time Low. Credit: Shirlaine Forrest / Getty Images
As for Doe 1, she originally claimed in a TikTok video of her own that she was let on the band’s tour bus at 13-years-old, and followed up in the video’s comments that they “tried to take my bra for their nasty collection [and] offered me beers”.
Doe 3 posted on X/Twitter claiming to have counted 97 allegations against the band: “If 97 people aren’t enough then I don’t know what to tell you.”
Garfinkel now states that the investigation narrowed to Doe 2 because “Doe 3 quickly retracted the post and Doe 1’s post was debunked by a friend.” As reported by Rolling Stone in June, a hearing saw Garfinkel claim he was working with the State Department to force two Internet companies to trace the IP addresses associated with Doe 2’s social media profile.
A follow-up hearing in the case is set for November 13.
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