Better Off

Kayla Phillips, the lead singer of the Nashville grindcore band Bleed the Pigs, is alleging that her bandmate, guitarist David Hobbs, sexually assaulted her last summer. In a post on Facebook over the weekend, Phillips claimed Hobbs "sexually assaulted me on tour in August 2015 in Orlando, . He knows he did this. Multiple people know." "There is absolutely no he said she said," she continued. "He can’t deny it. There’s proof in multiple forms. He sexually assaulted me the exact same way he knew I was molested as a child. I woke up in the middle of the night to the assault." Phillips wrote that she gave her alleged abuser eight months "to hold himself accountable," but he moved out of their apartment with only three days notice to go on tour with the Nashville band BETTER OFF. "Despite me requesting for MONTHS that he should not, as an abuser, go play music on a tour to people that have no idea he’s sexually assaulted anyone," Phillips wrote, explaining that why she's going public with her allegations now. BETTER OFF, whose membership also includes Bleed the Pigs' drummer, released a statement on Facebook standing by Hobbs, who they say was "wrongly accused." The band says it has been recommended to them that they remove Hobbs from their lineup, but BETTER OFF frontman Luke Granered wrote that he "cannot and will not allow David to feel alone in this mess, regardless of how it affects my band or my career." Instead, the entire band has dropped off their tour. "Good luck to all those who continue to pursue what they love in the spotlight and try to withstand the constant critiquing of their character," Granered wrote. "I’m done being quiet and I refuse to let him or anyone stop me from playing music in ANY band," Phillips' Facebook post concludes. "I started Bleed The Pigs and I will finish it the way I intended. No cowardly boy will stop me from doing what I need to do and no amount of pressure from he and his friends will keep me silent…" Read the full statement below. TW assault/rape/abuse This is quick because I’m incredibly upset, and I’ll make a more in depth post tomorrow when it doesn’t interfere with my work. David Hobbs sexually assaulted me on tour in August 2015 in Orlando, FL. He knows he did this. Multiple people know. There is absolutely no he said she said. He can’t deny it. There’s proof in multiple forms. He sexually assaulted me the exact same way he knew I was molested as a child. I woke up in the middle of the night to the assault. For the 8 months since, I’ve given David time to hold himself accountable. He assured me he would. He manipulated me, knowing I would care about his mental health. He’d cry and I’d always feel sorry for him due to our relationship and life as bandmates. Even through what he did to me, I’d still be the first person he’d call or come to when he was dealing with something heavy, and I was always there to listen and give advice. Recently he moved out of our apartment (giving me 3 days notice and no means to pay our electricity bill because he holds the account and we hold the rent account) because he said he was “toxic to me.” Saying he’d heal and if I let him, we’d become best friends again. Only, his real reasoning was to quit his job and go on a very long tour with the Nashville band BETTER OFF this month (despite me requesting for MONTHS that he should not, as an abuser, go play music on a tour to people that have no idea he’s sexually assaulted anyone) ultimately running from accountability and reality. With his move, he kept up the “I’m going to hold myself accountable. I’m sorry, i’ll respect your wishes.” Right up until less than 24 hours of his things being gone where he deleted Facebook to eliminate scrutiny, but also blocking me from contact through all forms. He did this so I couldn’t see that he in fact did go on tour with Better Off (where the drummer of Bleed The Pigs also drums in – who was the first person I told as we woke up that morning), and so he didn’t have to face the reality he made for himself. (He insist that I’m trying to ruin his life by telling him he shouldn’t be playing music.) Everything he did was calculated. I know David better than anyone on this planet. I told him once that he feels untouchable and comfortable to know he’ll always be able to play music even with sexual assault attached to his name, and he does and is. All of our mutual friends would much rather play music with him than hold him true to his actions towards me. All their “kill your local rapist” rhetoric is lost because they love who they think he is. Which, he’s always been a different person with our friends. To be honest, they don’t know who he really is, and that’s granted him the means to run from his actions and have friends that support him through his cowardice. I’m done being quiet and I refuse to let him or anyone stop me from playing music in ANY band. I started Bleed The Pigs and I will finish it the way I intended. No cowardly boy will stop me from doing what I need to do and no amount of pressure from he and his friends will keep me silent…

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