Chattanooga Times Free Press

Label drops singer Jimmie Allen after second sexual assault lawsuit

- BY KRISTIN M. HALL AND MARIA SHERMAN

NASHVILLE — Country singer Jimmie Allen has been dropped by his record label as he faces a second sexual assault allegation.

Allen’s skyrocketi­ng career has come to a halt over two lawsuits, including one filed by his former day-to-day manager, who alleges Allen raped her and that his management team failed to protect her from his predatory behavior.

BBR Music Group said in a statement Monday that the Nashville-based label “has dissolved its relationsh­ip with Jimmie Allen, he is no longer an active artist on its roster.”

The first lawsuit, filed in May and first reported by Variety, accused Allen of sexual traffickin­g, battery and assault. It also accused the artist management company, Wide Open Music and founder Ash Bowers, of gross negligence and intentiona­l infliction of emotional distress.

Both plaintiffs are identified as Jane Doe in the lawsuits.

The first accuser’s suit said the management team knew that Allen was sexually harassing her while she was assigned to work with him and that when she complained and asked to be reassigned, she was terminated from her job.

As a result, Allen was dropped by his publicity company, Full Coverage Communicat­ions, and suspended by his previous management company, The Familie, and his booking agency, UTA.

A second lawsuit filed Friday was filed by a woman who said she met Allen on a plane. She alleged Allen secretly filmed her on his phone during a sexual assault. After discoverin­g the phone, she said she took it from the hotel room and reported the incident to police.

Neither Allen nor the management company have responded in court filings to the cases, which were filed in a federal court in Nashville. But Allen said in a statement to Variety the relationsh­ip with his manager was consensual.

“I acknowledg­e that we had a sexual relationsh­ip — one that lasted for nearly two years,” Allen said in the statement to the outlet. “During that time, she never once accused me of any wrongdoing, and she spoke of our relationsh­ip and friendship as being something she wanted to continue indefinite­ly. Only after things ended between us, did she hire a lawyer to reach out and ask for money, which leads me to question her motives. The simple fact is, her accusation­s are not only false, but also extremely damaging. I’ve worked incredibly hard to build my career, and I intend to mount a vigorous defense to her claims and take all other legal action necessary to protect my reputation.”

 ?? AP PHOTO/MARK HUMPHREY ?? Country singer Jimmie Allen performs “Best Shot” at the 2019 CMT Music Awards in Nashville.
AP PHOTO/MARK HUMPHREY Country singer Jimmie Allen performs “Best Shot” at the 2019 CMT Music Awards in Nashville.

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