The members of Canadian pop-rock band Hedley have announced that they will be taking an “indefinite hiatus” in the wake of mounting sexual assault allegations against frontman Jacob Hoggard.
On Wednesday, Calgary radio host Katie Summers became the latest woman to accuse Hoggard of sexual misconduct, after she claimed the 33-year-old singer touched her inappropriately seven years ago.
READ MORE: Calgary radio host accuses Hedley’s Jacob Hoggard of sexual misconduct
Allegations of sexual misconduct first appeared earlier this month on social media in posts made by anonymous users.
A lawyer for Hoggard has denied any wrongdoing by the musician.
In a statement posted to Twitter on Wednesday evening, Hoggard denied having ever engaged in any form of non-consensual sexual behaviour. But he apologized for what he described as his “reckless and dismissive” treatment of women over the last 13 years.
“To my many female fans, I want you to know that you deserve nothing but dignity and respect from every man in your life,” Hoggard said in the statement. “To the people that have always had faith in me… I am so sorry for letting you down. I promise to work every day to regain your respect. I know it won’t happen overnight.”
WATCH: Hedley singer Jacob Hoggard denies sexual assault allegations by Ottawa woman
The B.C.-born singer added that he plans to see out Hedley’s current tour, before “taking a serious step back.”
The band’s official Twitter account also posted a statement announcing that it will be taking a hiatus “to work on our personal relationships and who we are as individuals.”
Read Jacob Hoggard’s statement in full:
“It’s time to speak for myself, as I should have done from the beginning. “In the face of multiple allegations, I have to speak out and address these concerns. “I need to be completely clear: I have never engaged in non-consensual sexual behaviour in my life. Ever. “However, over the last 13 years, I have behaved in a way that objectified women. “The way I’ve treated women was reckless and dismissive of their feelings. I understand the significant harm that is caused not only to the women I interacted with, but to all women who are degraded by this type of behaviour. I have been careless and indifferent and I have no excuse. For this I am truly sorry. “To my many female fans, I want you to know that you deserve nothing but dignity and respect from every man in your life. “To the people that have always had faith in me, and the institutions and organizations that believed in me, I am so sorry for letting you down. I promise to work every day to regain your respect. I know it won’t happen overnight. “I was given a position of leadership and power and I mishandled it. I will regret this for the rest of my life. I’ve let down my family, my friends, and so many fans. I’m sorry. “It’s time for me to change. I’ve decided to step away from my career indefinitely. I will honour my commitments to this tour, then will be taking a serious step back in order to make real changes in my life, seek guidance from family and continue to grow and learn from the amazing women in my life. I’m asking for a chance to prove that I can be the man you thought I was, the man I was raised to be.”
WATCH: Hedley concert in Windsor, Ont. cancelled amid sexual misconduct allegations
Read Hedley’s statement in full:
“Over the past two weeks, there have been accusations made against us on social media and in the mainstream media. As a result, we as a band, and as an individuals, have been forced to take a long hard look in the mirror. No excuses are going to be made by any of us. We clearly have some soul-searching to do. That begins by us saying that we are truly sorry, as individuals and as a band, to anyone who has been negatively affected by our behaviour. “We have unanimously decided to continue this tour to the end. Following this tour, Hedley will be taking an indefinite hiatus to work on our personal relationships and who we are as individuals. “We have chosen to honour or commitment to this tour for our crew (who are like family to us), for the countless people that depend on this tour for their livelihood, our families, and most importantly, for our fans, who have supported us and believed in us from the very beginning. “This has been the most difficult decision of our lives. To the people we have let down, we are truly sorry and we hope to one day earn your forgiveness. We will work every day of our lives to be better. “We remain very proud of the music we’ve made and shared over the last 15 years. That music, and our relationship with our fans, will always be in our hearts, and will bond us together, forever.”
— With files from the Canadian Press
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Late last night, while most were asleep, the band Hedley and lead singer Jacob Hoggard made some pretty shocking announcements. Both took to Twitter to announce an indefinite leave of absence from their music careers after the many allegations that have trickled in on sexual misconduct with minors, rape, and general poor behaviour.
The band has vehemently denied all of the allegations but have still been dropped by management, blacklisted on some radio stations, had venues cancel their shows, and of course faced massive public scrutiny.
Lead singer and frontman Jacob Hoggard released a lengthy statement on his personal twitter account, admitting that he would be stepping away indefinitely not because of sexual misconducts or rape, but due to poor behavior that he believed he needed to work on.
As a band, Hedley together also released a lengthy statement that let fans know that it wasn't just Jacob leaving the music scene, but all of the members. They confirmed that they would finish the current tour they are one for the sake of the crew but after that, would be stepping back indefinitely.
While it comes as a shock to many after the band has been together and touring since 2003, they've also left things open ended that they could come back in the future.
A radio host in Calgary has come forward with a new sexual misconduct allegation against the frontman of the Canadian pop-rock group Hedley.
Katie Summers, who co-hosts the morning show on 90.3 AMP, says she encountered the band about seven years ago while she was working evenings at the music station.
During a post-interview meet-and-greet, Summers, who was 23 at the time, told lead singer Jacob Hoggard she was a fan and that she'd seen the group perform recently.
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"He just made this comment to me about performing oral sex on him out in the alley if I was lucky and it kind of took me off guard," Summers recalled in an interview Wednesday.
"I didn't react because I didn't really know what to say in that moment."
They then posed for a photo.
"And as the photo op was sort of over and he was getting ready to leave, he sort of just touched my rear end. It was very fast. It all kind of happened in a flurry and I chalked it up to rock star behaviour."
There were four or five other people there at the time, including representatives of the band and its record label, Summers said.
"It's not like he said it to me in a dark hallway or in secret or anything," said Summers. "He said it out loud like it was a joke, but it still made me feel uncomfortable."
A witness who was in the room at the time told Global News that he saw Hoggard grab Summers' buttocks, but does not remember the specific comment the musician made.
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Anonymous sexual misconduct allegations against the Vancouver band began emerging online earlier this month.
The group announced Wednesday night that it was taking an indefinite hiatus to "work on our personal relationships and who we are as individuals."
Hedley has been dropped by its management team, blacklisted by scores of radio stations and abandoned by bands booked as tour openers in recent weeks, as various allegations have surfaced. Hedley also withdrew itself from consideration for the Juno Awards.
The band's members have called the allegations involving young fans "unsubstantiated," but acknowledged that in the past they "engaged in a lifestyle that incorporated certain rock 'n' roll cliches."
A CBC story on Sunday recounted a 24-year-old woman's allegation that Hoggard sexually assaulted her in a hotel two years ago. A lawyer for Hoggard has denied any wrongdoing by the musician.
Hoggard did not respond directly to Summers' allegations, but Wednesday night he issued a statement apologizing for how he has treated women over the past 13 years.
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"The way I've treated women was reckless and dismissive of their feelings," Hoggard said on Twitter.
"I understand the significant harm that is caused not only to the women I interacted with, but to all women who are degraded by this type of behaviour. I have been careless and indifferent and I have no excuse. For this I am truly sorry."
Hoggard was adamant that he has never engaged in what he calls non-consensual sexual behaviour.
Summers said she wasn't traumatized by the encounter and didn't lose any sleep over it. If anything, it made her lose respect for a band she admired.
But she said the #metoo movement inspired her to share her story.
Since accusations against Hollywood mogul Harvey Weinstein began surfacing last fall, there has been a barrage of allegations against some of the most powerful men in entertainment, media and politics.
"I'm OK, but it's important to know that there are a lot of people who experienced something like this, whether it's with this same person in this same band, or a boss at work or a teacher at school or who knows?" Summers said.
"It's OK to tell your story if you're ready to tell it, because somebody out there will listen to you."
