All six charges of sexual assault againstBritish singer Rex Orange Countyhave been dismissed after an investigation by the Crown Prosecution Service.
In October, the artist — real name: Alexander O’Connor — was accused of assaulting a woman six separate times in London over two days last June. After pleading not guilty to all six charges, O’Connor was released on unconditional bail. A provisional trial date had been set in court for Jan. 3, but the findings of the investigation revealed “that there is no merit in this case going to trial,” the singer said in a statement, noting that the only evidence against him was the accuser’s account, which was contradicted by video footage and the testimony of another person present.
“Not guilty verdicts were entered to all the charges,” O’Connor wrote. “I have always denied these allegations and am grateful that the independent evidence has cleared me of any wrongdoing. I have never assaulted anyone and I do not condone violence or abusive behavior of any kind.” The statement follows below in full:
“Today, all charges against me have been dropped. The Crown Prosecution Service reviewed the evidence and decided that there is no merit in this case going to trial, not guilty verdicts were entered to all the charges. I have always denied these allegations and am grateful that the independent evidence has cleared me of any wrongdoing. I have never assaulted anyone and I do not condone violence or abusive behaviour of any kind.
“I would like to clarify some details around what I was accused of, as I have not been able to address this until now and inaccuracies about the case have circulated. I was wrongly accused of touching someone one evening on their leg, neck, back, and bottom. That led to 6 charges of sexual assault. The only evidence against me was the individual’s account. However, CCTV footage obtained by the police contradicted their version of events. Their partner was also present throughout the evening in question and gave a statement to the police which did not support the allegations against me.
“It’s been a difficult time for everyone involved and I’d like to thank the people who have helped me through it as well as my family and loved ones for their continued support.”
As Rex Orange County, the artist reached indie fame with his 2017 hits “Best Friend” and “Loving Is Easy.” That same year, he featured on two songs on Tyler, the Creator’s seminal 2017 album “Flower Boy.” O’Connor has released one mixtape and three studio albums, the latest of which, “Who Cares?,” came out in March.
