Details Of Alleged Assault By PWR BTTM’s Ben Hopkins Emerge
Earlier this week, a member of a closed Facebook group accused Ben Hopkins, one half of the band PWR BTTM, of being a “known sexual predator” and the “perpetrator of multiple assaults.” Yesterday, the band responded to those allegations, writing, “These allegations are shocking to us and we take them very seriously. Further, the alleged behavior is not representative of who Ben is and the manner in which they try to conduct themselves.” Since then, one touring member has left PWR BTTM, opening acts have dropped off of the band’s tour, and several festivals have dropped the band from their lineups. And now details about an alleged assault by Hopkins have emerged.
Speaking to Jezebel’s Hazel Cills, the alleged survivor, who opted to stay anonymous, claims that Hopkins assaulted her while she was intoxicated. Here’s how Jezebel describes it:
After Hopkins took Jen home they allegedly made sexually aggressive advances and started having sex with her without permission while also refusing to wear protection. Later, while she was asleep, Jen said she woke up to Hopkins trying to have sex with her again.
The alleged survivor says that she didn’t initially process the assault as a rape, and she also says that Hopkins assaulted her again a month later. She also says that she reached out to Liv Bruce, Hopkins’ bandmate, and here’s how she describes what happened:
Their response to me was, I don’t think Ben knows what they did, maybe you should reach out to them. Then they never spoke out about it again and continued being in the band… The statement that they made, I know for a fact, is an actual lie because I know they did know. The statement they made is 100 percent false.”
You can read the full Jezebel account here.