Axl Rose Accused Of 1989 Sexual Assault In New Lawsuit

In a lawsuit filed today (Nov. 22) in New York, Guns N’ Roses singer Axl Rose has been accused of sexually assaulting former Penthouse model Sheila Kennedy in 1989.

Kennedy accuses Rose of violently assaulting her in his hotel room after they met at a club in New York. Rose allegedly invited Kennedy back to his room to party with former MTV Headbanger’s Ball host Riki Rachtman. From there, Rose allegedly urged her to partake in group sex, and when Kennedy tried to leave the room, she claims Rose became “furious.” He grabbed her by the robe, knocking her to the floor and allegedly “caused her knees to bleed from scraping on the rug.”

After that, the singer allegedly threw her on a bed, tied her hands behind her back with pantyhose, and sexually assaulted her. “He treated her like property used solely for his sexual pleasure,” the lawsuit says.

Following the alleged incident, Kennedy claims to have suffered from “lifelong emotional, physical, psychological, and financial impacts.” In 2016, Kennedy first revealed the allegations in her autobiography, No One’s Pet. In 2021, she discussed the alleged incident in Look Away, a documentary about sexual misconduct in the music business.

A representative for Rose did not respond to SPIN‘s request for comment.