Canadian singer Feist said Thursday she is stepping away from the current leg of the Arcade Fire tour following allegations of sexual misconduct against frontman Win Butler.
“After rehearsing with my band, I read the same headline you did,” Feist wrote in a statement she shared on Instagram, referring to Saturday’s bombshell report at Pitchfork.
Three people spoke up about their experiences with Butler between 2015 and 2018 in Montreal and Vancouver. In a statement, the 42-year-old singer insisted all of the relationships were consensual.
“I have never touched a woman against her will, and any implication that I have is simply false. I vehemently deny any suggestion that I forced myself on a woman or demanded sexual favours,” Butler said. “That simply, and unequivocally, never happened.”
Arcade Fire kicked its tour of the UK, Ireland and Europe in Dublin on Tuesday night. Feist pledged proceeds from sales of her merch to Women’s Aid Dublin, which works towards ending domestic violence against women and children.
“This has been incredibly difficult for me and I can only imagine how much more difficult it’s been for the people who came forward,” Feist wrote. “As I tried to get my bearings and figure out my responsibility in this situation, I received dozens of messages from the people around me, expressing sympathy for the dichotomy I have been pushed into.
“To stay on tour would symbolize I was either defending or ignoring the harm [allegedly] caused by Win Butler and to leave would imply I was the judge and jury.”
Feist said she made the decision to “distance myself from this tour” but wants to remain part of the conversation.
“I’ve always written songs to name my own subtle difficulties, aspire to my best self and claim responsibility when I need to,” she wrote. “And I’m claiming my responsibility now and going home.”
Arcade Fire is scheduled to continue its tour through the UK and Europe until early October. A string of U.S. dates will be followed by stops in Vancouver and Edmonton at the end of November and then Toronto and Montreal in early December.
Read Feist's full statement below: