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Phoebe Bridgers Opens Up About Privilege and Speaking Out Against Ryan Adams

Phoebe Bridgers Ryan Adams

In February 2019, Phoebe Bridgers, along with a group of other women including Ryan Adams’ ex-wife Mandy Moore, accused the artist of sexual harassment in a report by The New York Times. She also released a statement following the NYT story.

And in an interview with NME, the singer-songwriter recounted that experience and how she felt supported by the Times during the writing of the piece and lawsuit proceedings.

“When a team of amazing fact-checkers and journalists unafraid of actual lawsuits are on your side… I feel really lucky I met so many people who were willing to go to bat for me,” she told NME. “There’s a big conversation about privilege to be had. I, a young white female, was able to meet other young white females who had contacts with journalists. So many people do not have that.”

She also talked about how the #MeToo movement also impacted the music industry as a whole.

“With music, every group is much more isolated. It can happen with power dynamics and #MeToo shit,” she said, “but also with a manager who’s just fucking every single person over. Or labels that sign you and flirt with you and then don’t release your shit. And why can they do it to 10 bands in a row? Because people don’t talk to each other.”

She also added, “When I met Ryan [Adams], I didn’t know anybody in music for the most part. But then I would then meet tons of people who were like, ‘Oh my God – he is a trash person’. I didn’t have that when I was 20, and a lot of people still don’t.”

You can read more from Bridgers’ interview with NME here. Bridgers’ new album, Punisher, is out on June 19.