(Trigger Warning: Mentions of rape)
A former Penthouse magazine model sued Guns N’ Roses singer Axl Rose on Wednesday, 22 November, alleging that he raped her in 1989 at a hotel in New York City, that left her with anxiety and depression and affected her career.
The 61-year-old former model filed the lawsuit in State Supreme Court in Manhattan, seeking damages for physical injury, pain and suffering, severe emotional distress, mental anguish, humiliation, embarrassment, anxiety and economic harm.
The lawsuit was filed under the Adult Survivors Act, that lets adult victims sue over attacks that have occurred even decades back. The law expires after Thursday.
On behalf of Rose, attorney Alan S. Gutman said in a statement, "Simply put, the incident never happened. Notably, these fictional claims were filed the day before the New York State filing deadline expires. 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, the woman alleges that she met Rose in February 1989 at a Manhattan nightclub. Rose allegedly invited her to a party at his hotel suite afterwards.
The lawsuit states that the woman saw Rose have sex with another model before he became angry with the woman and asked her to leave his suite. The suit added that Rose then dragged her, tied her hands and assaulted her. “Rose made no attempt to ask for or check that Kennedy was consenting," the lawsuit said. “He treated her like property used solely for his sexual pleasure."
The woman has made allegations about Rose in the past, including in a 2016 memoir “No One's Pet" and in a 2021 documentary, Look Away, about women sexually abused in the music industry.
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