Back in June, former Of Mice & Men and Attack Attack! frontman Austin Carlile had been publicly accused of multiple counts of rape and sexual assault.
Loudwire reports that Alternative Press revealed that they had investigated the accusations against Carlile, only to drop a story based upon their investigation for “legal purposes.”
The accusations against Carlile were “widely circulated” on social media after a Twitter thread by Jonathan Stiffler, the husband of one of Carlile’s accusers.
Jonathan Stiffler comments came in response to an article published by Alternative Press covering a tweet Carlile posted in regards to the media, the Black Lives Matter movement, and Coronavirus (COVID-19) where he proclaimed that “Jesus is coming back soon.”
You can read Jonathan Stiffler’s Twitter thread in full below:
“A few years back, realising the extent of the damage done, I organised a group of woman (MANY) who had been raped or sexually assaulted by @austincarlile over the years to be interviewed by @AltPress. I knew him personally, I worked in the scene & I married one of his victims.
These women sat & told @AltPress in gruesome detail their accounts of rape at his hands. There’s many victims. I sat in on a few of these conversations & I know they were told about the assaults by the women themselves. Multiple women. I still have the messages between us all.
After months of interviewing victims and putting together the story, right before it was going to run – @AltPress killed it because they were open to being sued by Austin and his lawyers. This was devastating. So many recounted their worst memories and for what?
Today, I saw his article in @AltPress. I don’t even have words. I’m shocked and disgusted that they would give a man that they know is a serial rapist that opportunity? Them killing the story was bad enough, but to let him promote his “faith” on their platform was heinous.
So, @AltPress owes us answers. Hell, they don’t owe us answers – they owe that group of women answers as to why they did this. Why they gave this truly disgusting excuse for a person a platform for his “faith.” I never thought I’d see this. I’m sick. They knew what he is.”
Caitlyn Stiffler, the wife of Jonathan, shared her story publicly on Instagram:
Loudwire reports that on the 8th June, Alternative Press tweeted the following:
“For legal purposes regarding the Austin Carlile accusations, the story couldn’t run it was told. As a female-led, lgbtq+ editorial staff, we’re going to reopen this & find the answers you’re looking for. We do not condone any of the accusations & this story WILL be heard.”
Loudwire suggests the tweet backfired, however, readers demanded answers about why the established outlet continued to cover Carlile in a positive light despite collecting stories detailing the alleged rape and sexual assault of numerous women.
On the 9th June, Of Mice & Men released an official statement. Within the statement, the band claimed this was the first time they had heard about Alternative Press’ investigation. You can read the band’s statement in full below:
“Yesterday we heard for the first time of an alleged article that was written, and apparently subsequently shelved, regarding a former member of our band.
This individual has not been a member of Of Mice & Men for almost four years and neither the band, nor the team around us, has had any part in suppressing any such article.”
Beartooth vocalist Caleb Shomo tweeted the following:
Shomo’s wife, Fleur, also tweeted about Carlile:
Towards the end of his Twitter thread, Jonathan Stiffler retweeted a screenshot claiming many women have shared their stories of being raped or assaulted by Carlile. Stiffler suggests that what has already been made public is just the “tip of the iceberg.”
On the 10th June, Alternative Press released a statement in which they offered an apology to the alleged victims whose stories were never published. You can read the established outlet’s statement here.
The statement goes into specifics about why the investigation article was never published and how they could do better moving forward, Just like their tweet, Alternative Press’s message was met with criticism on social media; however, there were some that appreciated the fact the established outlet wanted verifiable sources.
Caitlyn Stiffler posted the following on Twitter regarding Alternative Press’s statement:
Here’s what others thought about Alternative Press’s statement:
Loudwire reports that Alternative Press claims the stories they collected on Carlile did not meet a legal standard for publishing…We’ll leave that there!
A week or so later, Carlile released a statement regarding the accusations. You can read his lengthy statement below:
“In my younger years, I absolutely was not the best person, but I have never physically abused, preyed upon, forced myself upon, or drugged any woman. These accusations are false and defamatory.
I’m not a perfect person: I smoked marijuana daily, drank often, got into fights and acted like a jerk more times than I can count. I did things and acted in ways that I am not proud of, but never have I violated anyone. These ‘accusations’ being thrown around on social media, in our current ‘cancel culture’ climate, are extremely heinous and completely without merit.
My wife is a molestation and rape survivor, and I have personally seen the deep, long-standing pain that she battles with every day. I have spent years surrendering my flesh over to God, allowing him to constantly improve who I am as a man, husband, and father. During this past week, I have even had the joy of seeing the heartbeat of my new child for the very first time. Today, I am focused on supporting my pregnant wife, our daughter, this new blessing in our lives, my health, my wife’s health, and striving to be a better person every day.
These accusations have been investigated by the appropriate authorities as well as independent journalists and were determined to be unfounded. I apologise to the Marfan Foundation, I Am Second, my former bandmates, and any of our dedicated fans who have been unjustly brought into this controversy and wish them all nothing but the best.
All women deserve to feel safe, supported, and heard, but these unjust attacks upon my family and accusations against me, are decades-old claims that are unfounded.”
FYA: The editor in chief of Loudwire and Note to Scene worked at Alternative Press at the time of the Austin Carlile inquiry and was involved in the investigation of the initial information.
H/T Loudwire, NME, Alternative Press
ALTFRESH will continue to report on any updates regarding this story and any other stories of abuse within the industry. Although we cannot comment in whether the accusations are true, ALTFRESH will always stand with the victims of abuse.