Hedley Pulled From Juno Awards Amid Sexual Misconduct Claims
The organizers of Canada’s Juno Awards on Wednesday said the rock band Hedley would not be performing at the upcoming awards ceremony amid sexual misconduct allegations.
“We are aware of the serious allegations regarding Hedley and we are following this situation very closely,” Allan Reid, president and CEO of the Canadian Academy Of Recording Arts and Sciences, which organizes the Junos, said in a statement.
That followed the Junos on its official Twitter account indicating that “after careful consideration of the situation and in discussions with the band,” CARAS has removed Hedley from the lineup of performers.
In a Facebook post, the group responded to a series of allegations on social media about possible instances of sexual misconduct involving members of the band and young fans. “The recent allegations against us posted on social media are simply unsubstantiated and have not been validated,” Hedley said in its post.
“While we are all now either married or have entered into committed, long-term relationships, there was a time, in the past, when we engaged in a lifestyle that incorporated certain rock and roll clichés. However, there was always a line that we would never cross,” the post continued.
The rockers also wrote they “respect and applaud the #MeToo movement,” and called for a “meaningful, open and honest discussion” where “there are at least two sides to every story.”
Michael Buble is set to host the 47th edition of the Juno Awards on March 25.
This article originally appeared on The Hollywood Reporter.