Two days ago, former Runaways bassist Jackie Fuchs (aka Jackie Fox) and songwriter Kari Krome came forward for the first time with some horrifying and utterly heartbreaking allegations of rape and sexual assault by former manager Kim Fowley, who died of bladder cancer in January. Although witnesses’ accounts of Fuchs’ assault differ, both Fuchs and Krome allege that other band members, including Joan Jett and Cherie Currie, were in the room at the time of the incident. Jett initially responded only through a representative, who stated, “It’s a matter involving her [Fuchs] and she can speak for herself.” Yesterday, Babes In Toyland bassist Maureen Herman called out Jett for her continued silence on the matter, describing it as “indifference with a side of victim-blaming.” And now, as Billboard reports, Jett has issued a full official statement regarding the incident:

Anyone who truly knows me understands that if I was aware of a friend or bandmate being violated, I would not stand by while it happened. For a group of young teenagers thrust into 70s rock stardom there were relationships that were bizarre, but I was not aware of this incident. Obviously Jackie’s story is extremely upsetting and although we haven’t spoken in decades, I wish her peace and healing.

Either way, this is an awful, awful story, and it was immensely courageous of Fuchs to speak out.

UPDATE: Cherie Currie has shared a statement as well…

I have been accused of a crime. Of looking into the dead yet pleading eyes of a girl, unable to move while she was brutally raped and doing nothing. I have never been one to deny my mistakes in life and I wouldn’t start now. If I were guilty, I would admit it. There are so many excuses I could make being only one month into my sixteenth year at the time that people would understand but I am innocent. When I return from Sweden I will seek a qualified polygraph examiner to put to rest any and all allegations. I will make public the questions, answers and results of that test. I am a proud person but for this, I may need to open a Fund Me account since I do not know how much this will cost. I am not a rich person but a carver. I wouldn’t ask for funding for my new album because I am proud. I will prove I am telling the truth. I will not allow anyone to throw me under the bus and accuse me of such a foul act. I will fight for myself. It is the only thing I can do.