Rock legend Axl Rose was accused of sexual assault in a bombshell complaint filed Wednesday. The complaint alleges that the Guns N’ Roses frontman carried out the attack in 1989, when he was “at the peak of his commercial success.”
Sheila Kennedy, Penthouse’s “Pet of the Year” in 1983, alleges in the complaint filed in the Supreme Court of New York that Rose “violently” assaulted her in a New York City hotel room, an allegation Rose denies.
She said she met Rose at a nightclub before he invited her back to his hotel, where a consensual sexual encounter quickly spun out of control.
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“The encounter quickly became not just uncomfortable but disturbing,” the complaint reads, adding that Rose appeared to be encouraging group sex, which Kennedy was not interested in.
After she left the room, the complaint alleges, Rose became “furious” and “loomed threateningly” over her before grabbing her by the robe and knocking her to the floor.
“While Kennedy was still on the ground, Rose grabbed her by the hair and dragged her across the suite back to his bedroom. This was very painful for Kennedy and caused her knees to bleed from scraping on the rug,” the complaint says.
Rose is then accused of throwing her on a bed and tying her hands behind her back with pantyhose while he was in a “sexual, volatile rage” and she “was trapped.” It was then, she alleges, that he assaulted her, “forcibly penetrating” her anus without consent.
“He treated her like property used solely for his sexual pleasure,” the complaint says, adding that Kennedy was left with “lifelong emotional, physical, psychological, and financial impacts.”
“Kennedy has experienced symptoms akin to post-traumatic stress disorder whenever she hears Rose’s name or the music of Guns N’ Roses,” the complaint says, adding that she avoids settings where she might hear his music.
Lawyers for Kennedy say she has also suffered anxiety and depression as a result of the alleged sexual assault, with her ability to “form healthy relationships” damaged “irreversibly.”
Rose denied the allegations in a statement from his attorney.
“Simply put, this incident never happened. Notably, these fictional claims were filed the day before the New York State filing deadline expires. Though he doesn’t deny the possibility of a fan photo taken in passing, Mr. Rose has no recollection of ever meeting or speaking to the Plaintiff, and has never heard about these fictional allegations prior to today. Mr. Rose is confident this case will be resolved in his favor,” attorney Alan Gutman said in a statement.
The lawsuit comes just hours before the New York Adult Survivors Act—which allowed accusers to file lawsuits against their alleged sexual abusers even after the statute of limitations on their claims had run out—is set to expire. The state law spurred many high-profile lawsuits and a surge in sex abuse claims. It is due to expire at midnight on Nov. 23.
