- Axl Rose is the lead singer for Guns N' Roses
- He has been accused of sexual abuse
- The case could spell the end of his career
The New York supreme court is abuzz with the details of a lawsuit filed on Wednesday, alleging a night of terror that Kennedy claims to have endured at the hands of the rock icon. This is yet another story from Hollywood that echoes the multiple scandals that surfaced around the time of the #MeToo movement.
A terrible blast from the past!
The story unfolds like a twisted rock ballad, with Kennedy meeting Rose at a nightclub and being lured to his hotel room under the pretense of a party without her friend, who was deemed "not hot enough." This is where the story begins to take a sneaky turn for the worst.
The party, reportedly fueled by cocaine and alcohol, took a dark turn when Kennedy, after a bathroom break, was allegedly cornered and kissed by Rose. "He was attractive," Kennedy admits, but what followed was anything but a consensual romantic encounter.
Like most young girls at that time, kissing Axl Rose must have been a bit of a dream come true...
The suit paints a picture of a night that spiraled out of control, with Kennedy fleeing the room after witnessing an aggressive sexual act that left another model in apparent pain. But the escape was short-lived. Kennedy alleges that Rose, in a "sexual, volatile rage," attacked her in the hallway, dragging her to a room where he tied her up and forcibly penetrated her.
Many sources have reached out to Rose’s spokesperson and attorney for comment.
From bad to worse
Rose provided cocaine, champagne and other alcohol for his guests, including Riki Rachtman, then host of the MTV show 'Headbanger’s Ball,' according to the suit which also alleges that Kennedy feared Rose "could become dangerous" if he mixed alcohol and the prescription pills she says she spotted in his hotel suite.
The suit says, and Kennedy was "open to sleeping with [Rose] if things progressed and if they continued to find each other attractive." But things allegedly took a dark turn as Rose had the hotel suite cleared of everyone except himself, Rachtman, Kennedy and another female model.
All four got into bed and Rose allegedly began having sex with the other model in an aggressive way that "appeared painful" for the woman, according to the complaint. "The encounter quickly became not just uncomfortable but disturbing," the complaint states.
Kennedy's ordeal didn't end that night. She claims to have been haunted by PTSD-like symptoms, anxiety, and depression, which have compromised her career and well-being.
Her pursuit of justice seeks unspecified damages for a litany of charges, including assault, battery, and gender-motivated violence like so many other similar victims before her.
And the past doesn't look good for Rose...
Also interesting:
This isn't the first time his name has been linked to allegations of abuse. The suit references past claims from former partners Erin Everly and Stephanie Seymour. With the Adult Survivors Act opening a window for such claims, Kennedy's story joins a chorus of voices challenging the untouchable status of music industry giants.
This means that as the clock ticks towards the closure of the Adult Survivors Act's window, the music world holds its breath. Will more survivors step forward? What will be the fate of Axl Rose and others accused under this landmark act?
It's more than likely this will mark the beginning of the end for a career that has stemmed over decades...even if the allegations aren't true in the end.