Via his attorney, the Guns N' Roses musician vehemently denies model Sheila Kennedy's 'fictional claims' in her lawsuit, in which she says that the singer raped her in a New York hotel back in 1989.
- November 23, 2023
AceShowbiz - Axl Rose has reacted to the sexual assault lawsuit against him by a former Penthouse Pet of the Year. Via his attorney, the Guns N' Roses musician vehemently denied Sheila Kennedy's "fictional claims" in which she alleged he raped her back in 1989.
"Simply put, this incident never happened. Notably, these fictional claims were filed the day before the New York State filing deadline expires," Axl's attorney Alan Gutman said in a statement. "Though he doesn't deny the possibility of a fan photo taken in passing, Mr. Rose has no recollection of ever meeting or speaking to the Plaintiff, and has never heard about these fictional allegations prior to today. Mr. Rose is confident this case will be resolved in his favor."
In her lawsuit, which was filed on Wednesday, November 22, Sheila claimed that the rocker tied her up and sexually assaulted her in a New York City hotel after their encounter at a nightclub in 1989. The model, who claimed that she was "not previously aware" of who Axl was, said that the musician "targeted" her using his fame and celebrity status to "manipulate, control and violently sexually assault" her.
The two and the singer's entourage later headed for his hotel suite, where he allegedly "pushed Kennedy against the wall and kissed her." Sheila admitted that she didn't mind the action until he started encouraging group sex. She claimed that watching him having sex with another model made her "uncomfortable," so she left. After she left Axl's bedroom, she heard Axl throwing glass and screaming obscenities at the model.
That prompted Sheila to return to the room, only for the singer to grab her by the hair and drag her back to his bedroom. Once in the bedroom, Axl allegedly threw her to the floor twice before tying her hands behind her back using pantyhose. Sheila added that Axl was then "forcibly penetrating Kennedy's anus with his penis" without consent.
According to Sheila, the incident left her with "lifelong emotional, physical, psychological and financial impacts" on her life. In addition to suffering anxiety and depression, she had symptoms akin to post-traumatic stress disorder hearing Axl's name or Guns N' Roses music which made her avoid nightclubs and any place where Axl's music would be played. Sheila is seeking damages as a result and demanding a jury trial.
