Photo Credit: Andy Witchger / CC by 2.0
Ryan Adams has issued a public apology to the seven women who accused him of sexual misconduct.
The revelation came out in February of last year as seven women came forward about Adams’ behavior. His ex-wife, singer Mandy Moore, is one of the women who spoke out.
In the written statement, Adams apologizes for the way he “mistreated” women in the past. He says he’s now sober and that he can’t fully express his regret.
“There are no words to express how bad I feel about the ways I’ve mistreated people throughout my life and career,” he told the Daily Mail. “All I can say is that I’m sorry. It’s that simple. This period of isolation and reflection made me realize that I needed to make significant changes in my life.”
A New York Times investigation turned up multiple women who said Adams abused them. One woman even showed reporters the sexually explicit texts she exchanged while underaged. Moore alleges that Adams was a mentor, but that he eventually stalled her music career.
In response to the sexual misconduct allegations, Universal Music Group canceled three upcoming albums.
“No amount of growth will ever take away the suffering I had caused,” Adams wrote. “I will never be off the hook, and I am fully accountable for my harmful behavior, and will be for my actions moving forward. I hope that the people I’ve hurt will heal. And I hope that they will find a way to forgive me.” You can read his full statement here.
Ryan Adams’ ex-wife, Mandy Moore, spoke with NBC News about Adams’ apology, calling it “curious.”
“It’s challenging because I feel like in many ways I’ve said all I want to say about him and that situation,” she told the anchors. “But I find it curious that someone would make a public apology but not do it privately. She noted that she had no contact with Adams recently.
“I am speaking for myself, but I have not heard from him, and I’m not looking for an apology necessarily,” she continued. “But I do find it curious that someone would do an interview about it without actually making amends privately.”
Adams’ later posted on Instagram that he is updating his website. There’s no indication that he’s planning to start touring again, but that may be the case. Three canceled albums doesn’t mean the material that was there just vanishes. Adams is likely hoping to smooth public friction to his re-entry into the music world.