Singer Seal investigated over sex assault claims by actress
BRITISH singer Seal is being investigated for sexual assault in the US after a former neighbour alleged that he groped and tried to kiss her – a claim he vehemently denies.
American actress Tracey Birdsall, 54, said Seal grabbed her breasts and repeatedly tried to kiss her when she went to his home to pick up a salad spinner.
She claimed that when she rejected his advances, he berated her for wearing shorts and a vest top and suggested she was asking for the attention due to her skimpy outfit.
The actress told showbusiness website TMZ the pair became close friends in the autumn of 2016, when they were neighbours in Los Angeles. However, the mother of three claims the friendship came to an abrupt end when the 54-year-old singer tried to force himself on her.
Seal, the former husband of model Heidi Klum, is claimed to have lunged at the actress while she stood in his kitchen.
Miss Birdsall said she shouted ‘What are you doing?’ when he made advances on her, to which the London-born star replied ‘I’m kissing you’.
She claims the singer, whose real name is Henry Olusegun Adeola Samuel, then ridiculed her for her choice of clothing and groped her breasts.
Miss Birdsall alleges that she demanded the singer stopped but while they were sitting on the sofa shortly afterwards, he touched her inappropriately again. Seal is being investigated for sexual battery by the LA County Sheriff’s Department, according to TMZ.
A representative for Seal said the star denies the allegations.
A statement read: ‘Seal vehemently denies the recent allegations made against him by a former neighbour for alleged misconduct more than a year ago. He intends to vigorously defend himself against these false allegations.’
Miss Birdsall initially made the claims online in a now-deleted Facebook post. She tweeted the link alongside the statement: ‘That feeling you get when you put down the shame... #metoo #timesup’. She said she was prompted to come forward fol- lowing the singer’s criticism of Oprah Winfrey. Seal had shared picture on Instagram of Miss Winfrey embracing Harvey Weinstein with the text: ‘Oh I forgot, that’s right … you’d heard the rumours but you had no idea he was actually serially assaulting young starry-eyed actresses who in turn had no idea what they were getting into. My bad. #SanctimoniousHollywood.’
Model and cookbook author Chrissy Teigen questioned the post, writing: ‘Hmm. Let’s just say we’ve all heard things about each other, haven’t we?’
Seal later posted a video saying he wasn’t attacking Miss Winfrey but the ‘hypocritical and double standard nature and behaviour of Hollywood’.
The singer, whose hits include Kiss From A Rose, was married to Miss Klum, the mother of his three children, for nine years. At the time of their separation in 2012 the pair insisted the split was amicable but reports suggested the supermodel could not put up with the singer’s temper.
‘Let’s just say we’ve all heard things’