- Neil Portnow is the former Grammys CEO
- He has been accused of sexual assault
- THESE are the details we know
The explosive lawsuit, brought to light by 'The Daily Beast', has sent shockwaves through the industry, revealing a dark side to the glitz and glamour of the Grammys. The plaintiff, an internationally acclaimed musician and former member of The Recording Academy, alleges the assault took place in Portnow's Manhattan hotel room. According to the lawsuit, Portnow offered her wine, which she claims caused her to feel "woozy" and lose control of her body.
A night of horror
The musician alleges that she lost consciousness multiple times throughout the night, only to awaken each time to Portnow sexually assaulting her.
The suit does not name the woman, but it describes her as an instrumentalist from outside the United States who once performed at Carnegie Hall. The court papers include redacted correspondence she had with the academy in 2018 regarding her complaint.
The case harks back to a tumultuous period in the Grammys’ recent history, when Portnow left the institution after saying that women in music should step up to get greater recognition in the industry. His successor, Deborah Dugan, was abruptly terminated in what she called retaliation for accusing the organization of a range of abuses, including a cover-up related to the allegation made in the new suit.
Those incidents shook the Recording Academy and the wider music industry, but the woman who accused Portnow had been publicly silent until now.
"Neil Portnow gives lip service to women as standing up," said a lawyer for the plaintiff. "But he does a disservice to every woman and every musician who is being oppressed by him and others. This is not just about Neil Portnow and not just about the Recording Academy, but about the culture in the music and entertainment industry and its doublespeak about rape and abuse."
A history of controversy
In a statement, a representative of Portnow's called the allegations false, and said they were "the product of the plaintiff’s imagination and undoubtedly motivated by Portnow’s refusal to comply with the plaintiff’s outrageous demands for money and assistance in obtaining a residence visa for her."
The suit says that he then told the woman, "I have been thinking about you for a very long time," before she lost consciousness. She awoke several times throughout the night to find him sexually assaulting her, including "forcibly" penetrating her, according to the suit. She still felt woozy the next morning, and exited when Mr. Portnow left the room to attend a meeting.
And what about his peers? Adding fuel to the fire, the lawsuit accuses the Recording Academy of aiding and abetting Portnow's conduct, in an attempt to protect their reputation and silence the plaintiff and other women in the music industry. The Recording Academy has responded, stating they believe the claims to be without merit and intend to vigorously defend the Academy in this lawsuit.
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This isn't the first time Portnow has been mired in controversy. In 2018, he came under fire for his infamous "step up" comments regarding female artists, implying that women needed to "step up" to achieve recognition in the industry. His comments sparked outrage from musicians like Halsey and Alicia Keys.
Portnow stepped down as Recording Academy CEO in July 2019, after 17 years. His departure followed accusations from a high-ranking former employee of steering money away from the Grammys’ charity, MusiCares. The academy denied the accusations.
So what happens now? The lawsuit claims the alleged assault has caused the plaintiff severe emotional, physical, and psychological distress. As the music world reels from these shocking allegations, one thing is clear, the spotlight is now firmly on the dark side of the Recording Academy.
