Canadian pop group Hedley have responded to a number of sexual assault claims, saying they will be going on an “indefinite hiatus” following their cross-country tour which concludes this March.
Pressure has been mounting on the band to respond to a number of anonymous sexual misconduct claims that began to emerge in February. Initially, the band dismissed the rumours as “unsubstantiated,” but acknowledged that they had been guilty of “engag[ing] in a lifestyle that incorporated certain rock ‘n’ roll cliches.”
In a statement posted on Twitter, the band said they have some “soul-searching” to do, and that they are “very sorry.”
— Hedley (@Hedleyonline) March 1, 2018
Two weeks ago, an Ottawa woman came forward with her story of an incident in which she claims Jacob Hoggard repeatedly sexually assaulted her in a Toronto hotel in 2016. Just this week, a Calgary radio host came forward about her experience being sexually assaulted by Hoggard during a press stop-in.
Hoggard took to twitter to post his own personal response, saying he has “never engaged in non-consensual sexual behavior” in his life, but apologized for “reckless” and “dismissive” behavior towards women.
— Jacob Hoggard (@JacobHoggard) March 1, 2018
Hedley will play out the remainder of their 2018 Canada tour, before taking a step back from the public eye. A few weeks back, the band was dropped from their slated JUNO Award performance. They have already been dropped by their management team, and blacklisted by a number of radio stations.
