Singer Melanie Martinez is denying a claim that she sexually assaulted her former friend Timothy Heller.
“I am horrified and saddened,” Martinez, 22, said in a statement shared on social media. “What she and I shared was a close friendship for a period of time. We came into each other's lives as we were both starting our careers as artists, and we tried to help each other.
“We both had pain in dealing with our individual demons and the new paths we were forging, but I truly felt we were trying to lift each other up.”
Martinez, who appeared on The Voice in 2012, said Heller “never said no.”
— CRYBABY (@MelanieLBBH) December 5, 2017
Heller alleged on Monday that she “repeatedly said no” to sexual advances by Martinez and to receiving sex from her. “She knew I didn't want to, I made that clear,” she wrote.
“I have kept this secret for years, convincing myself that it wasn't a big deal and I wasn't hurt by it. The thought of accepting that my best friend raped me seems insane.
“It’s hard to say someone you loved raped you. Someone you STILL love.”
Martinez's response to the allegations did not sit well with actress Abigail Breslin. She called the statement "completely unacceptable."
Breslin wrote: "Not saying no doesn’t mean yes. But for the record, she did and has stressed that numerous times. Shame on you for this disgusting reply that contributes to the victim culture we live in."