modest mouse drops simon o'connor from tour after messages to minor allegations
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modest mouse is heading out on tour, but one of its guitarists won’t be coming along.
the band announced friday on instagram that simon o’connor will not join its upcoming north american run. it didn’t explain why, but the decision comes just days after allegations surfaced online that o’connor sent inappropriate social media messages to a minor.
“simon o’connor will not be joining us on the upcoming tour,” the band wrote. “the good news is that seth jabour of les savy fav will be jumping in to play guitar. we look forward to being out there with you all.”
the band didn’t clarify whether o’connor is still part of modest mouse or if this is only a temporary move. usa today has reached out to the band’s representatives for comment.
the change comes as modest mouse gears up to support its eighth studio album, an eraser and a maze, released in june, billboard reports. the north american tour kicks off aug. 4 in ojai, calif., before wrapping up oct. 24 in sacramento.
what were the allegations?
the controversy began on july 26 when a reddit user posted in the band’s fan subreddit, accusing the 42-year-old guitarist of sending them “an erotic image” and commenting on their “bikini pics.” the user said they were 17 at the time of the post and that the photos had been taken when they were 16.
o’connor later addressed the accusations in a lengthy reddit post. he said he “unequivocally” opposes “any sexual behavior towards minors” and insisted the situation stemmed from a mistaken identity.
according to o’connor, he believed the account belonged to someone who had spent years creating fake social media profiles to harass him.
‘simon calls your bluff’
“throughout my adult life, there has been a person who has popped up from time to time with the intention of, for lack of a better term, messing with me,” he wrote. he said he sent what he described as a tasteless meme, a sticker reading “simon calls your bluff,” and other messages because he thought he recognized the account from previous encounters.
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o’connor said he quickly realized he had made a mistake, unsent the messages within minutes and stopped communicating.
“i’m genuinely sorry to the person who received those messages,” he wrote. “they didn’t deserve to be put in that position, and i’m sorry for the stress and attention this has brought them.”
one detail that remains unclear is o’connor’s exact role with the band. stereogum and exclaim! describe him as a touring guitarist, while paste and guitar player identify him as a full member.
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