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On Friday, June 2, 2023, book publishers Kiepenheuer & Witsch announced they would no longer work with Till Lindemann, the 60-year-old frontman of German rock band Rammstein. According to a spokesperson from Kiepenheuer & Witsch, they made the decision after several women accused Till Lindemann of s*xual assault.
The spokesperson added that they began uncovering the accusations after Lindemann published an explicit adult video that supposedly expressed violent, misogynistic attitudes.
Trigger warning: This article concerns assault, the reader's discretion is advised
According to Metal Sucks, one of the incidents occurred in February 2020, when Till Lindemann allegedly assaulted a 22-year-old woman who came to see him backstage after the show. Another woman, identified as 21-year-old Kaya R., also claimed that Lindemann had assaulted her at a concert afterparty.
How did the string of allegations against Till Lindemann rise?
In an official statement, Kiepenheuer & Witsch discussed why they chose to stop working with Till Lindemann. In 2013, the company published Lindemann's poetry book, "On Quiet Nights." The book, known for its dark and graphic content, was reportedly featured in a controversial adult film. The publishing house claimed that the film celebrated violence against women and that they did not want a book associated with their company to be featured in it.
A Kiepenheuer & Witsch spokesperson said:
“From our point of view, Till Lindemann exceeds immovable limits in dealing with women. We have therefore decided to end our collaboration with Till Lindemann with immediate effect, as our relationship of trust with the author has been irretrievably broken.”
As per DW, over a dozen women have told German reporters that they experienced misconduct at the hands of the famous rock star. ChaosZine reported that, according to one woman, Lindemann's entourage regularly supplied illegal drugs to women at his shows. Another woman said that she was told she could only go backstage if she had intimate relations with the musician.
One accuser, Shelby Lynn, claimed that members of Rammstein's entourage had spiked her drink with drugs. She claimed that after being invited to a backstage party, an incident took place. Lynn said that at the party, she suspected that something was wrong after she began forgetting things after having a drink provided by Lindemann.
Lynn said after the performance, Lindemann attempted to kiss her, but she rejected him. She said Lindemann reacted angrily before storming off. Lynn said that she did not remember long periods of the night. She had multiple bruises when she woke up and believed she had been attacked. As per Ann Yakina, a music manager, Lindemann has supposedly been involved in several other similar incidents with a wide range of woman victims.
In an official statement, a spokesperson for Rammstein denied all allegations of a predatory environment at the band's concerts.
The statement read:
With regard to the allegations circulating on the internet about Vilnius, we can rule out the possibility that what is being claimed took place in our environment. We are not aware of any official investigations into this matter.
No formal charges have been filed against the rock star. There are currently no investigations into the claims of predatory behavior, and Lindemann has not personally responded to the slew of accusations.
