Music

Swans' Michael Gira accused of rape by artist Larkin Grimm

by Jeremy Mersereau

Singer-songwriter and former Dirty Projectors member Larkin Grimm has accused Swans frontman Michael Gira of sexual assault that occurred while she was collaborating with Gira on her 2008 album Parplar, which was released on Gira’s label Young God.

In a Facebook post on her personal page, Grimm alleges that Gira made unwanted advances during their time recording together, and that she made it clear she wasn’t interested. Grimm says she awoke one night after a night of drinking to find Gira engaged in non-consensual sex with her (trigger warning – descriptions of assault):

At the apartment of Michael’s friends, I crawled into bed without changing my clothes or brushing my teeth. I just passed out. A little later Michael woke me up coughing. He had bad asthma, and sleeping on the floor in the dust was aggravating it. I told him, slurred, half asleep, that he could sleep in the bed, just not to touch me. A little bit later I woke up with his penis inside me, no condom. As I opened my eyes, he said, “Uh, this doesn’t feel right.” and he pulled out.

Grimm goes on to say when she confronted Gira about his actions, she was dropped from his record label.

Michael Gira has since responded, calling the accusation a “slanderous lie” and a “horrible slur”.

Gira has also shared a statement from his wife Jennifer, who accuses Grimm of being “jilted” about being dropped from the label, and having a history of sending Gira harassing emails and threats. Jennifer also states that she has proof, “in Larkin’s own hand”, that the rape did not happen and that Larkin fabricated the entire story.