Oritsé Williams - a former member of the band JLS - has been charged with rape, according to West Midlands police.
Williams, 31, from Croydon, London, was arrested in December 2016 after allegedly assaulting a 20-year-old woman in a hotel room after a gig. At the time, he was on tour promoting his new solo album at Gorgeous club in Wolverhampton.
Advertisement - Continue Reading Below
Williams was first arrested in 2016 Getty Images Mike Marsland
JLS' Aston Merrygold took to Instagram and appeared to show support for his former bandmate, writing, "These 3 guys... The nicest, most humble, caring, selfless, hardworking (I could go on..) people I’m lucky enough to call family! No matter what we are brothers like it or not! And we stand in each other corner".
Rochelle Humes, who's married to JLS' Marvin responded to Aston's post, "Always!!"
Williams' management team 10 Worlds Music, released a statement denying the accusations back in 2016, telling the Mirror, "All we wish to say at this time is that Oritsé denies the allegations against him. The matter is in the hands of the police and it would be totally wrong for us to comment any further."
Aston Merrygold (left) posted his support for Williams (right) Dave J Hogan
Advertisement - Continue Reading Below
Williams was then released on bail several times, but has now been charged with rape.
A second man, Jamien Nagadhana, 31 has also been charged in connection with the assault.
West Midlands police told Birmingham Mail, "Oritsé Williams, aged 31, from Croydon, London, has been charged with rape.
"Jamien Nagadhana, aged 31, from Hounslow, London, has been charged with assault by penetration."
Both men will appear in court next month.
Victim Support is an independent charity that provides specialist practical and emotional support to victims of all crime, including rape, whether or not the incident has been reported to the police. For confidential help and advice you can call the charity’s free Support line on 0808 16 89 111 which is open 24/7, or find out more information on their website.
Get celebs updates directly to your inbox Subscribe Thank you for subscribing We have more newsletters Show me See our privacy notice Could not subscribe, try again later Invalid Email
Oritsé Williams was one of the founding members of hugely successful boyband JLS.
On September 12 2018 the 31-year-old was charged with raping a fan in a Wolverhampton hotel and faces court on October 11.
The father-of-one has yet to comment on the charge.
Here's everything you need to know about the former pop star.
Who was Oritse Williams in JLS?
Alongside Aston Merrygold, Marvin Humes and JB Gill, Oritse came second to Alexandra Burke in X Factor 2008. Credited with being one of the founding members of the group.
(Image: NCJ)
Oritse, who hails from Hammersmith, West London, teamed up with Marvin Humes, who he knew had music business experience to form the boyband before taking them on to X Factor.
They were hugely successful and topped the UK singles chart five times before going on to sell four UK top three albums.
In 2013 they released a greatest hits compilation, followed by a farewell arena tour across the UK - their last gig as a foursome was in the same year at the 02.
They also won two Brit awards and sold ten million records worldwide with hits like Beat Again, She Makes Me Wanna and Love You More.
After the group split Williams went solo, releasing a single Waterline, featuring American rapper Pusha T.
Is he married?
(Image: JLS Instagram)
Oritsé Williams is not married and it is unclear if he is dating anyone. His last known girlfriend was model Aimee Jade Azari back in 2014. The pair have a child together.
When was he charged with rape?
Oritsé Williams was charged on September 12 2018.
The London-born pop singer, 31, allegedly sexually assaulted the 20-year-old waitress after performing at a gig in Wolverhampton.
He was arrested on December 2, 2016, and subsequently bailed twice.
His friend, Jamien Nagadhana, has also been charged with sexual assault over the same alleged attack in December 2016.
West Midlands Police said on September 12: "Police have charged two men with sexual offences following an allegation of rape at a Wolverhampton hotel in December 2016.
"Oritse Williams, aged 31, from Croydon, London, has been charged with rape. Jamien Nagadhana, aged 31, from Hounslow, London, has been charged with assault by penetration."
Both men are due to appear at Walsall and Aldridge Magistrates Court on October 11.
Oritsé Williams, the former member of The X Factor runners-up JLS, has been charged with raping a fan in a hotel room after promoting his new solo album at Gorgeous club in Wolverhampton.
The Everybody in Love singer was bailed several times before his charge and his friend Jamien Nagadhana was also charged with sexual assault over the same alleged attack.
A West Midlands Police spokesman said: 'We've charged two men with sexual offences after an allegation of rape at a Wolverhampton hotel in December 2016.’
Oritsé Williams, now known as OWS, seen here performing as a solo artist live in London
Who is Oritsé Williams?
Born Oritsé Jolomi Matthew Soloman Williams, he was a carer for his mother Sonia from the age of 12 due to her being diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis and also looked after his sister and two brothers.
After he attended school in London, he also spent two years in Lagos, Nigeria and also studied here. Oritsé’s story is well-known to the general public and after his involvement in JLS, he became a household name.
This recognition increased after he appeared on Good Morning Britain with his mother and they discussed his years as a young carer, as well as the issues that affect young carers across Britain today. Oritsé later became an ambassador of the Carer’s Trust.
A scene from Matron, Medicine and Me: 70 Years of the NHS with Oritsé and his mother Sonia
After gaining success with JLS, in 2011 he had a chance encounter with Beyonce and was introduced to her Creative Director Frank Gatson and this is when he decided to embark on his dream career in the music industry.
He recalled: ‘Beyoncé simply cut through all the bulls*** and told me how it was. She said, “There comes a time in every group when people are going to want to express themselves as individuals, what are you going to do when that happens?”
‘In that moment I guess she planted a seed. Ideas of what I wanted to do began rolling around in my head and by the time the band ended a couple of years later. I’d pretty much set my vision of how I wanted things to be.
‘In the band I had always been the one that wanted to bring alternative influences into the JLS sound, but being who we were as a band, there simply wasn’t a place for anything other than the narrow blend of pop, R&B and dance flavours that we had become known for.
‘Once the split actually happened, I really saw it as my opportunity to put some of those earlier ideas into play.’ In 2014, Oritsé worked with Island Records to produce his first solo hit which was called Waterline, premiering in Jay Z’s Life & Times magazine.
It was then quietly released with a feature from Pusha T and accompanied by a video that Oritsé had put together himself, but under the pseudonym of OWS.
When asked about this name, Oritsé said: ‘It was a way for me to test the strength of my ideas without the glare of too much publicity. I’m actually very proud of that record and of the fact that Jay Z and Good Music chose to champion it. That really gave me the confidence to go even further.’
JLS
Oritsé founded the British boy band JLS in 2006 under the name UFO, which stood for Unique Famous Outrageous, but the group struggled to garner fame in their early years, according to his official website.
However, after auditioning for The X Factor two years after forming the band, they became one of the most popular boy bands in UK history under the name of JLS (Jack-theLad Swing), which paid tribute to the genre of 90s swing that had influenced Oritsé to create the group.
JLS went on to sell over 10 million records worldwide, had four UK top three albums and five UK number one singles. In addition to this, they won five MOBO Awards and two BRIT Awards. They disbanded in 2013 and released their final and fifth album Goodbye - The Greatest Hits.
During an appearance on Alan Carr: Chatty Man, Oritsé let the other members, Aston Merrygold, Marvin Humes and JB Gill speak about the split, but after remaining quiet for most of the interview, Oritsé broke down in tears.
Oritsé Williams girlfriend
Oritsé previously dated Aimee Jade ‘AJ’ Azari and they welcomed a son together in 2014, which they called Omre. The pair also took part in the show Stepping Out together and won the 2013 series against Brian McFadden and Vogue Williams.
Oritsé rape
In September 2018, Oritsé Williams was charged with rape after an alleged incident with a fan in a hotel room after a gig in which he was promoting his new solo album at Gorgeous club in Wolverhampton.
The attack, thought to have happened in December 2016, resulted in the JLS singer being bailed a number of times, but has now led to him and his friend Jamien Nagadhana being charged with sexual assault.
Oritsé founded JLS in 2006 under the name UFO, which stood for Unique Famous Outrageous
A West Midlands Police spokesman said: 'We've charged two men with sexual offences after an allegation of rape at a Wolverhampton hotel in December 2016. Both men are due to appear at Walsall and Aldridge Magistrates Court on 11 October'.
When Oritsé was arrested in 2016, 10 Worlds Music UK released a statement, which read: 'All we wish to say at this time is that Oritse denies the allegations against him. The matter is in the hands of the police and it would be totally wrong for us to comment any further.'
According to the complainant, Oritsé invited her and her friend back to a hotel where they had starting drinking but the girls left to get a taxi home. However, they returned to fetch a handbag that had been forgotten and that is when the alleged rape happened.
After his arrest, he quit his ambassadorial work for the MS Society and music therapy charity Nordoff Robbins.
'It is with great sadness that I am announcing that I am stepping back from my charity work with immediate effect. This work has always been a big motivation for me and is something close to my heart and this has not been an easy decision for me.'
He continued: 'I had taken a conscious decision to avoid talking to the press about the matter whilst the police are conducting their investigation as I do not think it appropriate to do so.
'Unfortunately, the press speculation is likely to be unhelpful to the charities I work with and the decision I have taken is with their best interests in mind.'
Former JLS member Oritse Williams has been charged with rape over an alleged attack on a fan in a hotel room after a gig in Wolverhampton.
The 31-year-old singer was arrested by police on 2 December 2016 the morning after performing in the city.
An allegation of rape and sexual assault was made by a 20-year-old woman following the concert at a nightclub.
A statement released at the time of the pop star's arrest, by his representatives from 10 Worlds Music UK, which looked after Williams, said the singer denied the accusations.
West Midlands Police said Williams, from Croydon in London, has now been charged with rape.
A second man - Jamien Nagadhana, also aged 31, from Hounslow in London, has been charged with sexual assault.
Both will appear at Walsall and Aldridge Magistrates Court on 11 October.
Williams found fame on television talent show the X Factor in 2008, but has pursued a solo career since pop/R&B boyband JLS broke up in 2013.
