Arcade Fire’s Win Butler accused of sexual misconduct, responds

Arcade Fire co-leader Win Butler has been accused of sexual misconduct by multiple women in a new report on Pitchfork by music journalist Marc Hogan. An excerpt reads:

Numerous people who spoke with Pitchfork in recent months say that Win Butler’s virtuous public reputation is not entirely in line with his offstage behavior. Three women made allegations of sexual interactions with Butler that they came to feel were inappropriate given the gaps in age, power dynamics, and context in which they occurred. All three women were devoted Arcade Fire fans between the ages of 18 and 23 at the start of their interactions with Butler, which took place during overlapping periods from 2016 to 2020, when he was between 36 and 39.

A fourth person, who is gender-fluid and uses they/them pronouns, claims that Butler sexually assaulted them twice in 2015, when they were 21 and he was 34: Once while they were riding together in a car, and again after he allegedly showed up at their apartment despite text messages admonishing him not to come.

Pitchfork reached out to Win for comment, and he responded via crisis public relations expert Risa Heller. Win, who has been married to Arcade Fire's Régine Chassagne since 2003, admitted to having "relationships outside of [his] marriage" but he referred to them as "consensual" and said, "I have never touched a woman against her will, and any implication that I have is simply false. I vehemently deny any suggestion that I forced myself on a woman or demanded sexual favors." He did, however, add, "While these relationships were all consensual, I am very sorry to anyone who I have hurt with my behavior."

Régine also gave a statement, saying, "I know he has never, and would never, touch a woman without her consent and I am certain he never did."

Pitchfork interviewed multiple people that alleged misconduct by Win against them. You can read their detailed report, including Win and Régine's full statements, here.

Earlier this year, longtime Arcade Fire member Will Butler (brother of Win) left the band, and said, "There was no acute reason beyond that I’ve changed—and the band has changed—over the last almost 20 years," later adding, "The band are still my friends and family."

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If you or someone you know is suffering from sexual violence, please contact RAINN or call the National Sexual Abuse Telephone Hotline at 1-800-656-4673.

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