Singer Rex Orange County is charged with six counts of sexual assault
The Sun says that English pop artist Rex Orange County, whose actual name is Alexander O’Connor, has been charged with sexually abusing a lady on six separate occasions in London.
The 24-year-old artist denied the charges during a Monday court appearance in London’s Southwark Crown Court. O’Connor was released on unconditional bail after pleading not guilty to all six allegations. The trial is tentatively scheduled to begin on January 3, 2023.
Allegedly, O’Connor assaulted the woman six times on June 1 and June 2: twice in the West End, once in a taxi, and three times at his Notting Hill house.
Alex “is shocked by the allegations, which he denies and looks forward to clearing his name in court,” a representative for Rex Orange County said in a statement to Variety. “He is unable to make any further comment because of the ongoing proceedings.”
With the 2017 singles “Best Friend” and “Loving Is Easy,” the musician performing as Rex Orange County found success on the independent music scene. He also appeared on two tracks from Tyler, the Creator’s landmark “Flower Boy” album from the same year. O’Connor has published four albums, the most recent of which, “Who Cares?,” was released in March.
MeToo movement five years after it sparked a global awakening, as Harvey Weinstein, Paul Haggis, Danny Masterson, and Kevin Spacey all stand trial for their alleged roles in the movement. As Variety’s chief correspondent Elizabeth Wagmeister put it, “That upheaval turned things around for the better, and culture has been forever changed, And yet, the entertainment industry still has a long way to go to untangle a complex web of decades of bad behavior.”