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Pop-punk band All Time Low denied accusations of sexual misconduct posted on anonymous TikTok and Twitter accounts

Oct 28, 2021, 04:13 IST
Insider
All four members of the Maryland pop-punk band released a joint statement after two misconduct claims went viral this month. Lisa Lake/Getty Images
  • Pop-punk band All Time Low issued a statement addressing anonymous allegations of sexual misconduct.
  • One anonymous accuser claimed guitarist Jack Barakat sexually assaulted them as a minor.
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Pop-punk band All Time Low has denied allegations of sexual misconduct that circulated on Twitter and TikTok.

The statement posted to their Twitter account Monday night was signed by all four band members: lead singer Alex Gaskarth, drummer Rian Dawson, bassist Zack Merrick, and guitarist Jack Barakat. All Time Low is a pop-punk band from Baltimore, Maryland. Formed in 2003, they're best known for songs like "Dear Maria, Count Me In" and "Monsters."

Using their verified Twitter account, the band said "the allegations being brought against us are absolutely and unequivocally false."

Earlier this month, a TikTok video began to circulate which featured the text, "Me telling everyone about how a famous pop-punk band let me on their tour bus when I was 13 and people tell me how nice it was of them." The user's original handle, @mini.grewal, now redirects to a new account, but the video and purported screenshots of the comment section have been re-shared on Twitter.

While the creator did not state what band they were referring to in their video, multiple Twitter users said the original creator heavily hinted it was All Time Low in comments on TikTok.

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One of the since-deleted comments by the creator purportedly referred to the band's bra collection. All Time Low has spoken publicly about bras being thrown at them by fans during concerts, with the band saying in a 2017 interview they once accumulated thousands of bras. Lead singer Alex Garsarkth responded to a picture of their bra collection on Twitter in 2019, saying it had been turned into a charity fund.

Another comment by the TikToker also appeared to reference several All Time Low songs, including "Poppin' Champagne" and "Kids in the Dark."

The TikToker did not respond to Insider's request for comment and Insider was unable to independently verify the claims.

Referencing the allegations by @mini.grewal, the band's statement said, "When a TikTok video gained traction a few weeks ago alluding to inappropriate behavior within our camp, we chose not to respond because of the glaring inconsistencies in the story, and the apparent reluctance to mention us by name."

A separate allegation on Twitter directly named All Time Low on October 24. The source of this second allegation was a suspended Twitter account with the handle @ATLstatement. The account-holder posted a now-unavailable Twitter thread saying, "I'm at a point where I don't care if people believe me or not anymore but need to have it out there." The user detailed her alleged experience with Barakat along with other members of the band, which she said occurred in part when she was a minor.

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In this statement, the user alleged that she was sexually assaulted by Barakat numerous times between the ages of 15 and 21. The user also claimed that a band member witnessed one of the purported assaults and did nothing.

A TikTok account under the same handle and using the same profile picture as the Twitter account has posted several videos featuring the same screenshots. Insider has been unable to independently verify if the two accounts are related. Neither account owner responded to a request for comment and Insider has been unable to verify the claims.

While the band's statement did not directly reference the allegations made by @ATLstatement, it added, "It is with that in mind that we have to state with outright certainty, that what is being said about us is completely and utterly false."

The statement also said that the band was "investigating further the source of these false accusations" and would be seeking legal action. Representatives for All Time Low did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment.

For more stories like this, check out coverage from Insider's Digital Culture team here.

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