Sexual misconduct accusations posed against singer Jesse Lacey have rocked the Long Island band Brand New, and now the group has postponed its European tour.
Lacey apologized for accusations of inappropriate behavior with underage fans. Now, his band has cancelled scheduled dates in the U.K. and Ireland. “Due to the events of the last few days, Brand New will be postponing it’s upcoming three shows in the United Kingdom and Ireland,” the indie emo group, which formed in 2000, announced on Facebook early on Monday.
Several accusations have been posed against Lacey, including one by a woman who wrote in a public Facebook post that the singer demanded she send him nude pictures of herself and that she watch him masturbate over Skype in 2002. She was 15 at the time and he was 24. The post has since been deleted.
On Saturday, Lacey addressed the multiple accusations in his own Facebook post: “The actions of my past have caused pain and harm to a number of people, and I want to say that I am absolutely sorry. I do not stand in defense of myself nor do I forgive myself. I was selfish, narcissistic, and insensitive in my past, and there are a number of people who have had to shoulder the burden of my failures. I apologize for the hurt I have caused, and hope to be able to take the correct actions to earn forgiveness and trust.
Both Kevin Devine, Brand New’s touring guitarist, and the band’s opening act pulled out of the tour after Lacey’s apology.
You can read the rest of Lacey’s apology below.